Butterfly Girl
by HannahMiley1fan
Summary: Lilly is dying from leukemia, a disease she's been suffering with since childhood. Can Miley's love for her help heal her? Liley. Decided to re-name the story Butterfly Girl after this wonderful song I heard; I think it suits the story better. (:
1. Chapter One

_I know haven't been on in while nor have I uploaded any chapters to my current stories but my laptop's harddrive died so I had to get that replaced. And Unfortunately some of my stuff didn't copy onto my new one, so I lost all my stories. ): So I decided to write a new one and I would really, really appreciate it if you could read it and review it! I'll try to work on my other stories but for now this is my main story I'm going to be writing. :) So please, please read and review!_

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><p>True Beauty<p>

Sitting at the tip of the hospital bed, Lilly scampered through a magazine. She'd been staying in the hospital for months, due to her leukemia relapse she had just a year ago. Leukemia had caused her and her family much grief for so many years. It all began when Lilly was only seven years old. She had come down with a bad case of the flu, or so that's what they thought, and her mother took her to the doctor's office. Though after a thorough examination, the doctor found a small bruise on the young girl's back. She told the mother, who looked at it with horror, and made them an appointment with an oncologist whom diagnosed her with leukemia. Ever since then their life has revolved around numerous hospital visits; they've stayed there so much that the doctors and nurses consider them family.

"Lilly," An older woman with blonde hair walked in the room, stroking the girl's forehead, "Your father and I have got a surprise for you."

The blonde sat her magazine down, looking up to her mother with a gentle smile. She loved her parents more than anything; they'd been so loving and supportive towards her ever since she'd been diagnosed with her cancer. "What's the surprise, mum?" She asked, excited to hear the news.

Her mother looked at her then to her husband, who nodded his head encouraging her to tell their daughter. She sat down beside her daughter, softly stroking the small amount of hair she had left on her head. "Well we know how much you admire that singer…Miley Stewart…I believe is her name. So your father and I have arranged for her to come and meet you."

The younger girl looked at her parents with disbelief. She couldn't even imagine how difficult it must have been for her parents to arrange that. Miley Stewart had been a world famous singer; everyone had known about her and had been dying to meet her. Especially Lilly, ever since she started listening to her music, it helped her to forget about her disease and even start enjoying life more.

"You guys didn't have to do that, I mean I appreciate it more than anything in the world and I would love to meet her but it must have been extremely difficult to do that!" Her parents held her close, knowing that the only reason she had been able to meet her in the first place was because her cancer had been killing her.

Leanne, her mother, gently caressed her daughter's cheek; feeling bad that her daughter hadn't known how badly her prognosis was. "Lilly, you're our precious angel; we'd do anything for you no matter what. Especially when we know it'll make you happy." She spoke soothingly to her daughter, holding her close.

A few days passed on as the family waited for the day to come where Lilly would get to meet her favorite singer. The blonde sat in a chair near her bed, working on a crossword puzzle when a knock was heard. "Come in." She softly said, trying not to strain her throat.

The door opened revealing her younger sister, Rose, and her parents with her laptop. The younger sister ran over to her, engulfing her in a tight hug. "Are you feeling better, Lilly?" She asked, as her older sister held her tight.

Lilly smiled gently at her younger sister; she loved how sweet and caring she was. "I'm fine, Rosie; a lot better than I have been. How's school going?" She stroked her sister's hair while putting her crossword aside and replacing it with her laptop. The girl opened her laptop, as she continued to talk with her younger sister, and logged in to do some schoolwork.

"Mom told me that you get to meet Miley Stewart! Are you excited? I told my friends that and they're all jealous. I told them I'd take a picture of her just to make them even more jealous." The light browned hair, eleven year old said with an envious smile.

Smiling at the joyous memory, Lilly nodded as she continued working on her essay for English class. Even though she'd been stuck in the hospital, she had told her parents to ask for her assignments from school so she could work on them and not be so behind when she finally would be able to return to school. Unfortunately her parents knew she'd probably never return out of the hospital alive and had felt horrible for keeping such a secret from their daughter.

Another week went by and her parents knew that, that would be the week their daughter would get to meet the world famous singer. Both were so excited to see how happy it would make their daughter and as they walked down the hallway with the singer beside, they could not help but smile.

They told the young singer how much her music inspired their daughter to overcome her disease and live a fulfilling life which touched the girl so deeply to know that. And they made sure that she wouldn't mention to the girl that she was dying since she didn't know that yet.

Leanne gently knocked on the door to her daughter's room, but no one answered. She grew a bit worried, but figured the girl may have probably been sleeping so she quietly opened the door. As she had predicted her daughter was sprawled out in the bed sleeping soundly, the blankets loosely wrapped around her.

Any other time she would have just allowed her daughter to sleep but knowing Miley had a tight schedule she decided to try and wake her up. Just as she slowly made her way over to the young girl, the singer shook her head not wanting the mother to have to wake the poor thing up, especially since she looked so comfortable.

The mother looked at her with confusion. "We don't want to hold you up, since you've got a lot to do today. And I don't want Lilly to miss her chance to meet you. She's been talking about ever since we told her. I'd hate to crush her spirit."

Miley gave her a soft smile as she looked at the sleeping girl, who she noticed looked a deathly pale. "She looks so relaxed like that; I don't want you to have to wake her up. Besides my other plans can wait. Fulfilling this girls' dream is much more important to me. Especially if she doesn't have much time left." She said sincerely as she smiled gently at the sleeping girl.

A half an hour later the blonde started to move around as she moaned in pain when she turned her neck. She slowly sat herself up in the bed and quickly grabbed her glass of water, not yet noticing the brunette pop star sitting across from her. Pouring the water slowly down her throat, the blonde girl squealed in pain.

The brunette sitting across from her felt herself cringe at the sound of her squeal; it sounded so painful. "Are you okay there Lilly?" She gently asked, concern showing in her voice.

Startled at the sound, Lilly jumped a good foot in the air. She looked around to see who had asked her that and had been shocked to see her favorite singer sitting only a few feet away from her with a gently, concerning smile on her face. "Y-you're M-M-M-Mi-Mil…" Too shocked to even finish her sentence, Lilly started to hyperventilate.

Automatically, the brunette haired singer hurried to the girl's side and gently patted her back to get her breathing normally again. "Calm down, sweetie." She whispered softly into her ear, hoping she'd calm down. Miraculously within a few minutes the young girl calmed down enough to actually form a sentence. "You're M-Miley S-Stewart…" She whispered in shock, looking up at her with big, blue eyes.

Miley smiled softly at the girl, wrapping the girl in a gentle hug, thankful that she was okay. "Yes, that would be me sweetie. And I'm assuming you're Lilly, right?" She asked gently, stroking soft circles around Lilly's back to help her breathe better.

"Y-y-yes." Was the blonde's meek reply, extremely happy to meet her favorite singer. "I c-can't believe I'm actually meeting you…I mean I don't understand how my parents could even arrange this. There are so many people who are dying to meet you every day, myself included, and I'm the lucky one. There are far worse sick people than I am, I mean I'm hardly even sick. I really appreciate that with you're busy life and schedule that you'd take the time to meet sick people or anyone for that matter. "

The brunette was over touched with what the girl said to her, and felt sympathetic towards her when she said she was hardly even sick; for she knew the poor thing was dying. She put on a soft smile for the girl and soothingly stroked her back more in small circles. "Awww, sweetie; I think I'm the lucky one meeting you." She spoke in soothing tone. "You seem as a very inspirational girl. Your mother and father told me a lot about you before you woke up."

Lilly looked down, her cheeks a rosy red. "Oh no…they didn't tell you about my posters did they?" She knew how embarrassing her parents could be and would hate it if they embarrassed her in front of her favorite singer.

Miley smiled gently at her, giving her a gentle squeeze. "They did tell me about your posters. I think it's so adorable and extremely touching, Lilly. You're such a sweetie." She softly stroked the girl's back, realizing how soothing it was for her and within a few minutes the girl had fallen asleep leaning against her shoulder.

A few hours later, Lilly's parents walked back in to see their daughter sprawled out again in the bed with Miley sitting beside her stroking her back. They smiled at the sight, so happy to see Lilly happy and very thankful to the singer for making her dream come true.

Leanne walked over to Miley, and softly spoke to her. "You can go if you need to. Lilly will be okay, sweetie." The mother gave her a gentle smile as she bent down to give her daughter a soothing kiss on the forehead.

"I don't need to go, I talked with my manager and my father, deciding to cancel the rest of my plans for today." Miley whispered, continuing her soothing circles on the blonde's back. "I've enjoyed sitting and talking with Lilly. She seems so sweet and I really think she'd make a wonderful friend."

Lilly's mother gave her a touching smile, feeling blessed for her daughter to have met someone so incredible. "Lilly, I know, would surely be more than honored to call you her friend. Plus her father and I think you'd be a great inspiration for our little angel." She looked down at her little girl with tears of joy and praised God for giving them this beautiful gift.

The singer smiled sweetly, blessed herself to have met Lilly. She sensed that having a friendship with her had been exactly what she needed. The blonde had been a good inspiration for her, fighting so hard to survive her disease and what she needed most was a reality check and Lilly could give her that. Besides having a real friendship would be an amazing experience for her. And she had hoped that the girl was strong enough to not let the cancer kill her and if she needed extra help, Miley knew she'd definitely be there to help her.

Miley gently stroked the girl's arm, hoping she'd wake up before she had to leave for the day. Fortunately within a few minutes the blonde was stretching and slowly sat up, smiling shyly at the brunette who'd been smiling right back at her. "How was your nap, sweetie?" The blonde smiled gently as she grabbed the water, gulping it down.

"Refreshing. I feel so much better now." She said, letting out a yawn.

The other girl smiled at her, rubbing her shoulders soothingly. "I'm so glad you're feeling better, Lilly. You look much better as well, guess you just needed some rest." She wrapped the girl in a soft hug. "Well I better get going sweetie, but I will definitely come back and visit you. How about on Saturday? Is that fine with you, Lilly?"

Lilly gave her a meaningful smile as she gave her a hug back. "Anything is fine with me. Whenever you're able to come back, then that's great. I really appreciate it. You're a kind person with such a big heart. I feel so honored that I got to meet you." She said sincerely, meeting her had been the biggest dream she ever had.

"Lilly, you are way too sweet." The singer said softly, stroking her back with a soft smile. "You take care of yourself, sweetie, I'll see you Saturday." And with that, the girl was out the door.


	2. Chapter Two

_I'm sorry it took me so long to update this story, I couldn't think of what to write! And I also renamed the story Butterfly Girl after this really amazing song I heard. I feel it suits the story better than the other title I had. Anyway enjoy, and I'll try to update much faster!_

Chapter Two

It was Friday night when the doctor came to Lilly's room to talk with she and her parents. Lilly had been resting in the bed, with the television quietly playing in the background. Her parents sat on the chairs that were near the windows, each reading a different book. "Good evening Truscott family." The doctor politely said, dreading the news he was about to tell them. "I have some unfortunate news on Lilly's behalf."

Lilly sat up, worried to know what was going on with herself. She silently prayed, hoping it wouldn't be too serious. Her eyes fearfully looked up towards her doctor as she horrifically waited to hear the heart-wrenching news.

"We've reviewed your recent x-rays and the cancer has spread throughout your whole entire body." The doctor spoke up, feeling his own heart ache for the poor girl. For all the years he watched the young girl grow up, fighting to her fullest potential for her life, he hated having to tell her that she could no longer fight it off anymore.

The young girl began to feel dizzy, her head falling causing her mother to rush over to her side. She wrapped her daughter in her arms, gently placing her head onto her chest hoping the sound of a mother's heart-beat could soothe the girl. After her daughter had calmed down, the mother looked over towards the doctor horrid to find out his answer to her next question. "H-How long does our angel have?" She choked out the question, her voice quivering as she rocked the girl back and forth.

A moment of silence filled the room, the doctor tried to gather up the strength to tell the distraught family that there wasn't much time left. "She only has a few months left until the cancer spreads to her brain, which will certainly cause her to die. I assure you though, that we will continue with her chemotherapy and try radiation therapy as well."

Saturday morning came with sunlight shining through the window and onto Lilly's sleeping figure. After spending the majority of the following night bawling her eyes out over the horrific news of her prognosis, the blonde decided that if God had wanted it to be her time then all she could do was pray for the best.

A knock on the door was lightly heard but no one opened it, so slowly and gently the door opened, revealing Leanne and Rose who both took a seat beside the sleeping girl. The younger girl, with her thin brown hair in pigtails, grabbed her sister's hand and gently stroked it. "Mom, will Lilly's hair grow back?" She asked, not knowing her sister was on death's doorstep.

Leanne placed a loving smile on her face, pulling herself together for her youngest daughter. "Of course her hair will grow back, Rosie. But she doesn't need hair to be beautiful. Lilly is just as beautiful as she was with hair, if not more beautiful." The mother spoke as she pressed a loving kiss to the sleeping girl's forehead. Her eldest daughter had been the most beautiful person she had ever met; she'd also been the strongest person and her mother praised God every day for giving her Lilly.

The younger daughter smiled at her older sister, grateful to have such an amazing one. "I know she's beautiful mum, but Lilly doesn't think so." The brunette frowned down at her sleeping sister; she wanted her to feel better about herself. Lilly deserved that for all the pain and suffering she's had to deal with for way too long.

"Well Lilly's beautiful; very beautiful inside and out. Lilly should never doubt her beauty." Leanne glanced sadly down at her little girl. How could she ever consider herself less than beautiful? She sighed, placing another kiss down to her daughter's forehead, wishing there was a way to boost the girl's confidence.

Hours later had the leukemia-stricken girl hovered over a toilet vomiting everything she had in her stomach up. Her body heaved in pain as she cried, praying it would stop. There was a knock on the door, knowing it had probably been her mother she painfully whimpered a quiet "come in" resulting in the door of her room opening up.

Instead of it being her mother who came in the door, it turned out to be Miley which had come to surprise to the girl; she had forgotten that the singer promised to drop by sometime on Saturday. She tried to get up and greet her but her body thought otherwise as she continued heaving into the toilet. Gasping for air the blonde tried her hardest to stop the vomiting though it kept coming which caused her to start crying.

The brunette detected the pain she was in, feeling awful, so she hurried into the bathroom to help her. Miley gently held the heaving girl's hair back, trying her hardest to bring some kind of comfort to her. "Shh, don't cry Lilly, it'll make you feel worse sweetie." She soothingly whispered into the other's ear as she stroked her back in gentle circles.

After a few more minutes of vomiting, Lilly slowly stood up nearly falling backwards from how dizzy she felt fortunately the taller girl caught her before she could fall. "Do you feel better, Lilly?" Miley asked softly, flushing the toilet and helping her to wash off. Once the girl had been all cleaned up, she took her back into the room and gently laid her in the bed.

Lilly peacefully snuggled into the covers surrounding her as she looked up at the person who helped her and placed a thankful smile on her face. "I feel much better; thank you for helping me. I really appreciate it." She spoke with much sincerity, propping herself on a pillow before shutting off the silent television she had been watching earlier.

The singer watched her in admiration; surprised that after all the pain she just dealt with she could put a smile on her face. Knowing that someone as ill as her could smile had made her smile as well, wrapping the girl in her arms. "Awww, you don't need to thank me sweetie. You shouldn't have to be alone when you're puking your guts out."

"Yes, I do need to thank you. It was very kind of you to help me; I'm pretty sure if you hadn't helped me I probably would have been stuck in the bathroom until either my parents came back or my doctor."

Miley gently placed her hand on the other's back, lightly stroking it. "You poor, precious thing. I'm glad I was able to help you then. I'd hate for you to be alone in such pain."

The two girls sat, enjoying each other's presence for hours when Lilly had remembered what the doctor told her last night. Her eyes filled with tears as she tried her hardest not to think of the previous conversation. The past ten years of her life had been the worst she'd ever experienced. She knew she was very lucky to be alive and that there were people who were much sicker then she was but the constant visits to the hospital and having her body drenched in extreme chemicals to fight the fatal disease was brutal for her. It caused her hair to fall out several times and made her miss a ton of school.

The brunette sat on the bed beside Lilly, stroking her back softly. She had never met someone as precious as the blonde. Lilly had been a true miracle, fighting an atrocious disease such as leukemia for the past ten years of her life. Miley knew if the tables had been turned that she wouldn't be anywhere as strong as the blonde was.

"Honey, why are you crying?" The singer asked softly as she realized the tears dripping from the other girl's eyes. She placed her hand softly onto the crying girl's cheek and lightly stroked it with the tip of her fingers.

Lilly tried to hide her tears but they poured out of her like a waterfall. She hated crying, especially in front of people. So what if she was dying? It wasn't the end of the world, was it? "My doctor came in here last night…" She said, her tears flowing freely down her rosy-red cheeks. "He said that the cancer has spread all throughout my body…" Lilly tried to finish the sentence but a loud sob escaped from her. "I-I think that means that I-I'm d-d-dying…" This time she couldn't hold it in anymore, letting sobs escape her body in vexatious swarms.

Miley had her mouth gaped open, feeling abysmal for the distress in her friend's voice. She silently wrapped the weeping girl into her strong, caring arms, sanctioning her to cry into her chest. "Shh, it's okay sweetie. It's okay." The brunette spoke in a soft tone, running her hand through the long, blonde hair. "Everything will be all right, honey. You're going to be okay, Lilly. You're such a strong girl, sweetheart. And you're very brave as well. I know if I were in your shoes, I would never be able to put a smile on my face after all those obstacles you had to face. You're a beautiful person, Lilly, you seriously are. Don't ever let people tell you that you're not sweetie, because you are; inside and out."

Leanne sat with Lilly resting in her bed, stroking her hair softly. She hated watching her daughter suffer for so many years, it was heart breaking. The older woman wished frantically that she could trade places with her little girl, as she knew she could not face losing her.

The door to Lilly's room slowly opened, revealing her doctor. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Truscott. How's Lilly doing?" He asked as he glanced over towards the sleeping girl. He felt awful that the girl was dying and wished there had been something he could to help her out.

"Good afternoon, doctor Smith. She's doing a lot better with the news then anyone I could ever imagine. I think part of it is because her new friend's really helping her out which I'm overly thankful for. My sweet little girl deserves all the happiness she can get." The ill girl's mother spoke, running her hand softly down her daughter's back.

Doctor Smith gave a quick glance to Lilly, amazed with how strong she'd been with all the suffering she had gone through and the awful news she received just a few nights ago. "Your daughter is one of the strongest patients we've ever had. It's utterly amazing to see a smile on her face with everything she's had to deal with."

Sitting on the balcony outside her room, Miley softly strummed a tune on her guitar. Ever since she met Lilly she felt inversely towards life. The sweet and resilient girl had brought so much more meaning to things, it made her really think about what it's important in life. It also made her realize that she needed to take a break from her singing career so she could be there for her new friend.

Lost in her music and thoughts, she hadn't noticed her father's footsteps approaching her. "Hey bud." He spoke in his thick southern accent, taking a seat beside her. "How's that girl, Lilly, you met doing?"

The singer sighed quietly, carefully setting her guitar to the ground before scooting closer to her father. "Not good, daddy, not good at all." She snuggled into her father's embrace, he always knew how to give someone a good hug. "When I arrived on Saturday to see her, she was in the bathroom vomiting her guts out. The poor, poor thing. And after a while she told me that the doctor told her that she was dying! Daddy you have no clue how crushed she was…"

"Bud, you already knew she was dyin'… That's why you went and met her darling." Mr. Stewart looked down at his daughter with sympathy. He knew how big of a heart she had and was more than pleased with how caring she was. Miley had been one of the most caring people he'd ever known, besides his late wife.

"I know daddy, but she didn't. Her parents hadn't want her to know because they didn't want to upset her. Anyway she's such a sweetie, dad; I really want to help her." Miley said softly, looking up into her father's eyes.

Her father looked into her eyes, seeing how much she had cared about the girl. He gave her a sympathetic smile, ruffling her hair in the process. "Mile, darling, there's really nothing you can do to stop her from dying. All anyone can do for her is support her, love her, and pray for her. Even when she dies, she'll be in a better place bud; God will take care of her."

Miley rested her head on her father's shoulder, looking up at the night sky. She always had loved the twinkling stars and the beautiful moon. Each time she'd see a twinkling star, she knew it was her mother watching them. "I know daddy…But I want to be there for her. I want to take time off from singing so I can spend time with Lilly. I know I've only met her a few weeks ago but she means a lot to me, daddy. She's made me really appreciate the small things in life. And besides that, she needs a good friend in her life…especially now."

It had been almost a week now since Lilly had seen her favorite singer for the second time and she had really started to decline since then. Her white blood cell count had been extraordinarily high, her blood pressure extremely low, and her heart-rate had also been quite low. This had worried her parents beyond belief, it even had her doctor concerned.

Lilly lain wrapped loosely in her blankets as she stared blankly at the silent television. Ever since she'd been told that she was dying, she became more and more silent. She'd hardly spoken to her parents in the past few days and would only give a sad smile to her younger sister when she would stop by with their mother.

A soft knock was heard, but Lilly just ignored it, she could care less who came to see her. She knew that she shouldn't feel sorry for herself but she couldn't take it anymore, she was sick of being ill.

The door softly opened, revealing an overly concerned Miley. "Lilly, sweetie, are you okay?" The singer said, in a soft voice as she made her way towards Lilly's bed. She gave a sympathetic look to the girl, who had fresh tears running down her rosy red cheeks. "What's the matter angel? Huh?"

Lilly looked away, tears falling even more. Anger started to overtake her as she began screaming into her pillow, all her emotions she held inside for years started pouring out of her and she couldn't control it anymore.

Miley hurriedly rushed to her side, wrapping her arms gently, but snuggly, around her. "Shh, it's okay sweetheart…I'm here for you Lilly, you can cry. I'll be here to give you whatever comfort you need, you just tell me angel." She soothed while swaying back and forth as she held her hysterical friend.

"I-I c-can't take it anymore…I'm sick of my disease! All it's done is take over my life…I'm tired of it…I'm done." With that being said Lilly, rolled to her side, which caused excruciating pain to go through her spine and she let out a painful squeal.

The singer flinched at the sound of her painful squeal. Hearing her friend in so much pain only made her pull her into a gentle hug. She softly rubbed the crying girl's back, hoping to ease her pain somewhat. "Don't you ever give up, sweetie! You're the strongest person I've ever met. So please don't give up on living, Lilly. If you ever need someone to comfort you then please don't be afraid to call me sweetie. You're my friend and I want to help you."


	3. Chapter Three

_Sorry for such a long time with no update! I just had no desire to write anything. O_o But after getting back into reading books, I've found the desire to write again! So I thought I'd finish working on Chapter Three for this story since it seems many people are interested in this. If there are any grammar/spelling mistakes, I'm sorry! I had to use WordPad instead of Word as my trial has ended and I really don't want to pay for it. (: Anyway enjoy! Please leave reviews; I'm going to try and finish this story...Eventually._

Chapter Three

Lilly weakly stood in front of the mirror that lie against her wall and let out a dramatic sigh. Her body frame had completely deteriorated over the past several months with the suffering of her disease. She used to be a healthy one-hundred twenty pounds and nearly five foot four but now because of her advanced stage leukemia her weight dropped to a very low eighty-five pounds and her height shrunk to just a bit under five foot three. With one final glance at her reflection, the young girl sadly shook her head and then slowly made her way down stairs.

It had been a few weeks since Lilly had spent time in the hospital. Her doctor discharged her as he felt she should spend what could be her last months at home. Being back in her house, in her room, felt like heaven to the girl. Spending nearly a year in the hospital made her forget how amazing it was to just lounge around in her own home. The first few days all the girl could do was walk around and take in all her surroundings. After a week or two though it had been as if she'd never left the house.

And although Lilly was finally out of the hospital, she still had to go each day to receive her chemotherapy along with radiation therapy. Unfortunately this meant spending at least three to four hours there a day. Sometimes that made her feel like she never even left, but she was happy that at least she could go home at the end of the day. For she knew that not many other cancer patients were as lucky as she.

Ever since she first met her favorite singer, Miley Stewart, the two had become very close friends. Miley really helped the smaller girl to overcome her depression due to the fact of her death nearing. She would do anything to keep Lilly's mind away from those melancholy thoughts. Seeing the poor girl go through such extreme treatments to try and rid her of the cancer was hard enough but the fact that she could die at any given moment had been even worse.

"Lilly, come downstairs please." Her mother softly yelled up to her daughter as she opened the house door for Miley. "You have company, sweetie."

Within a few minutes, the blonde girl slowly walked down the stairs and into the living room where her friend was cheerfully waiting for her. Lilly gave a small smile to her as she took a seat on the couch, feeling too weak to stand. "Hi Miley, it's so good to see you." She said in a hoarse yet friendly voice. Seeing her new friend had always put a smile on her face.

Miley smiled softly at her, taking a seat beside her and wrapping the girl in a warm embrace. "Hi sweetie. How are you feeling?" She noticed how weak the girl was, feeling awful for her. It had been heart-breaking to watch her friend suffer with such a horrific disease.

The shorter blonde gave a bright smile to her friend. "I'm so happy to finally be home." She said softly as she relaxed into the other girl's embrace. "And fortunately I don't have to go back to school for another two weeks due to our being off for the holiday." Her smile grew brighter.

"Awww, I'm so happy for you Lilly. It's amazing to see you smile!" Miley spoke gently, holding the blonde softly to her chest. "Are you nervous about going back to school, sweetie?"

Lilly shook her head. She loved school and was very thrilled to be going back soon. She knew people would still treat her awfully because of the little amount of hair she had left, but she couldn't wait to get back to her classes. "I'm not really nervous about the school work as I've kept up with that...but I know people won't want to be near me since I have very little hair left and for the fact that I've shrunk three inches in height. I'm hoping at least my friend Oliver will still talk to me...I haven't talked to him since I left school last year."

A sad sigh escaped the singer's lips. The fact that people would be so shallow as to make fun of a precious girl who's suffering with such a horrible disease caused her to feel anger build up in her mind. She wrapped her arms protectively around Lilly's tiny body, soothingly rubbing small circles around her back. "Awww, sweetie... If people are that shallow, then they're not worth your time. You're absolutely beautiful, Lilly. You don't need hair for that. Lilly, when you go back to school, if anyone does anything to upset you then call me and tell me sweetie. I will deal with them."

"Mom and I tell her that all the time, but she doesn't believe us." Rose spoke as she looked up from her seat on the couch. "Lilly never says anything nice about herself...I think she needs a good friend."

Snow heavily flew through the sky, leaving the grass buried deep under piles and piles of frozen water. Staring out the window, Miley smiled to herself. She loved the sight of snow. It really made her feel that the holidays were truly nearing.

"Hey daddy?" The young singer called out as she made her way into the kitchen.

Her father stood, hovering over the stove, preparing a loaf of bread to put in the oven. He slowly opened the oven door before placing the pan into it. As he closed the door, he turned to face his daughter with a loving smile. "What is it, bud?" Robbie asked in his husky southern accent.

The brunette looked up at her dad with a huge smile as she leaned in for a hug. "Well, I was thinking that maybe we should invite Lilly and her family to come down to Tenneessee with us for the holidays. I think it would really cheer them up...especially Lilly. Please daddy? I really want to do something nice for she and her family, they deserve some happiness in their lives." Her father pulled her into his arms, astonished to hear how mature his daughter has become and how caring she was. He also had been warmed by how much she cared for her new friend.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Mile. Why don't we have them over for dinner this weekend and we'll ask them then? They'd probably like to get to know us more before they agree to it." Robbie spoke with a warm smile as he continued to embrace his little girl. He was more than happy to have such an amazing daughter.

Miley smiled softly at her father, happy that he agreed to it. She knew inviting her new friend and her family would do them a lot of a good. Especially for Lilly, who she knew needed as much happiness as she could get and Miley was more than willing to give her that. "Thanks daddy. I'm going to stop by later today so I'll ask them to come over on Saturday for dinner."

Rose quietly knocked on the door to her older sister's room, worried that she hadn't woken up yet. "Lilly, are you up?" She asked in a gentle tone, opening the door ever so lightly. As she walked further into the room, her heart raced when she didn't see her sister in the bed. "L-Lilly? Where are you?" Her voice began to quiver as she worried for her sister.

Fear grew in her body as she continued to look for her sister, and without even realizing she felt a pair of arms wrap softly around her. A scream escaped her mouth as the arms pulled her closer. "LET ME GO!" The young child screamed, not realizing it was Lilly who was holding her.

"Rosie...it's just me...Are you okay?" Lilly softly turned her sister's head so that she was staring straight into her eyes with concern. "What's got you all shaken up Rosie?" She asked gently, holding the younger girl close in her arms.

Tears fell from the brunette's eyes as she snuggled into her older sister's arms. "You! I'm worried about you, Lilly! I came in here to wake you up and I didn't see you in here! And you're so weak, Lilly...It's scary..." She sobbed, looking into the blonde's sparkling blue eyes as she curled into Lilly's soothing embrace.

The older girl held her sister close in her arms, lovingly running a hand through her hair as she lightly swayed back and forth. "I was in the shower, sweetie. I'm sorry I scared you, Rosie love." She spoke gently to the crying girl in her arms, pressing a soothing kiss to her forehead. "I'm not weak, love, I've just not been getting much sleep. But I feel much better today, Rosie. Please don't worry about me sweetie. I'm fine." She softly held her sister close, hating to be causing her pain.

"Lilly...will you be honest with me? Mom and dad lie to me all the time about your illness. They say you're fine and you'll be going back to school soon but I'm not buying it! I have eyes I can see what's going on. You're getting worse Lilly...you look paler and paler everyday..." Rose spoke as her voice quivered with sobs. "I hear mom and dad whispering about how they wish they could stop you from getting even worse...Lilly...are you going to die?"

Her older sister looked down at her with sympathy as her own eyes filled with tears. "I-I am dying, sweetie." She could hear Rose's sobs get louder which caused her to wrap her arms tighter around the younger girl. "Don't cry, Rosie. Please don't cry! I'm not dying right now love, I promise."

"We're so glad that you're here for our Lilly... Ever since she's met you, her life has really turned around. Even before she met you, just listening to your music would make her have a better day..." Lilly's mother said gently to the singer as she poured two glasses of lemonade for them. "It's so good to see Lilly with a real smile again."

A smile made it's way on the singer's face. It warmed her heart to know that she had the ability to help her friend have a better day. "Awww, Lilly's such a sweetie pie. It's so touching to hear that not only my music but also myself in general is able to make Lilly's day better. She makes my day better as well; her cheerful spirit is such a blessing!" Every word she spoke was true, her day always brightened up when she saw Lilly. "You know...my dad and I were wondering if the four of you would like to come over for dinner on Saturday. My dad would love to meet you guys, he's starting to think I'm visiting invisible people." Miley joked, hoping to lighten the somewhat gloomy mood.

Leanne let a small laugh out at the girl's joke and happily nodded. "Oh, we'd loved that." Her voice full of cheer as she took a sip of her lemonade. "It'd be absolutely wonderful to finally meet your father and thank him for allowing you to meet our daughter."

Miley's smile grew bigger as her mind wandered on to think about having them join she and her father on their trip to Tennessee in just a short six weeks. "My dad will be thrilled. He's really looking forward to meeting all of you! Especially since all I talk about is what an amazing family you are."

Saturday finally arrived and had the Truscott family rushing to the car in an intense snowstorm. As usual the weatherman was wrong, so they had to hurry if they wanted to make it before the roads got any worse. Even after just ten minutes of intense snow fall the roads had been coated a half inch thick.

Letting out a grunt, Mr. Truscott quickly started the car and hoped it would get them there in time. "If you want to make a good amount of money and put no effort into it, become a meteorologist. They never once tell the truth." He scowled as he slowly started backing up the car, making sure not to hit anything. "Damn liar. There's not a single cloud in the sky. The whole sky is a cloud!"

His wife, whom sat across from him, placed a gentle hand on his arm while stroking it lightly. "Focus on the road, Al. It's not that bad yet and they only live twenty minutes from us so it shouldn't be that bad." She spoke soothingly to him as she glance behind them to see how their daughters were.

Lilly sat with a book in hand, her eyes deeply focused on the words in front of her. Her head was covered with her favorite winter hat and her face lightly covered in make-up to hide how weak she actually felt. She could feel her mother's eyes on her and lifted her eyes to glance back at her, a smile forming as she did.

Her mother smiled back, blessed to have such a beautiful family. "Is Rosie asleep already?" She asked softly, looking over at the younger child.

"She is." Lilly spoke with a sad sigh as she looked over at her sister. "I told her the truth, mom."

Confusion made it's way through the mother's face as she continued to look at her daughter. "The truth? The truth about what, Lilly?" She asked, curious to know what she had told the other girl.

Lilly let out another sigh as looked up towards her mother and then back over at her sister. She softly placed her hand on the younger girl's hand and stroked it soothingly. "I told her the truth about my illness." The feeling of tears well up in her eyes made her pause as she continued to comfort her sleeping sister. "She told me that you and dad were lying to her and telling her that I was going to be fine. But she's a smart girl, she knows better than that. She asked me to tell her the truth and that's exactly what I did. I told her that I'm dying because I am and she deserves to know that." She noticed the look on her mother's face and knew she was close to tears. "Mom. Please don't cry. It's better now that she knows; it's for the better. You'd rather her know now before I actually die. Because if she didn't know, she'd be shattered. And even though she would know it wasn't yours or dad's fault that I died, she'd still resent you for a long while for not telling her the truth."

Miley smiled happily as she finished setting the table. She couldn't wait to spend the evening with Lilly and her family. They always brightened up her day. Well it was mostly Lilly who did that, but she adored her family. It reminded her of her own family...before her mother passed away.

"It sure smells good in here, dad." A deep voice spoke as a young man walked in from the living room. "Ya'll havin' a party or somethin'?"

Shock and anger grew in Robbie Ray's face as he turned from the stove to face his son. "What are you doing here, Jackson?" Anger rised as he glared over towards his son. "I thought I told you that you're not welcome here anymore."

Jackson let out a chuckle as he walked towards his father. "I don't care. I heard Miley has a new friend." Another chuckle escaped as he glanced over at his younger sister. "A friend with a very serious disease. Who's probably going to croak by the end of the year I assume." He spoke with a laugh.

The brunette shot him a cold glare, feeling anger build up. Ever since she became a singer, her older brother started acting out more and more. He had tried to steal money from both their accounts and even tried selling Miley's personal items. The reason for this outrageous behaviour? He wanted drugs. And alcohol, but mostly drugs.

"Don't you dare say a word about my friend. She's a sweet, precious girl who deserves every ounce of happiness she can get. You have no right to say anything about her, not a single right! She's fighting for her life and has been since she was a little girl! Why the hell are you here anyway?" Anger seethed through her teeth as she spoke to her brother.

He shook his head while he continued his laughing. Causing his sister anger or pain had been Jackson's favorite thing to do. Especially if it involved other people. A smug smile appeared on his face as he watched Miley's body fill with rage. "I thought I'd see my father and sister. Is that so bad? I mean it is the holiday season..."

Robbie quickly took what was in the oven out, nearly slammed it on the counter, then walked over to his son and stared into his eyes with anger. "You're not staying here, you're not going to see us. So either get the hell out of here or I'll call the police." He kept his voice calm yet very stern. He hated making his own son leave or threatening to call the cops on him. But after all the trouble he caused for their family, Robbie knew what he had been doing was right.

A knock on the door had cheerful smile form on Miley's face as she hurried to it. Opening the door, she noticed the smile on Lilly's face didn't make it to her eyes. That concerned her but she'd worry about that later after they had supper and gotten to know each other's family more.

"I'm so glad you could all make it with that horrendous snow storm out there." Robbie spoke as they sat down at the table. "And I'm very pleased to finally meet all of you. Miley's always talking about how wonderful ya'll are." He smiled brightly at them as he folded his hands to pray.

As Robbie enjoyed speaking with Lilly's parents, Miley decided to show the girl her room. And figure out what had been bothering her. She watched her all through dinner as she barely touched a morsel.

"You okay, Lil?" Her voice soothed as she sat beside her on the bed. "You barely touched dinner and you seem a bit upset. What's wrong sweetie?" Miley carefully grabbed one of Lilly's hands, stroking it gently with her thumb as she looked into her eyes with deep concern.

A quiet sigh escaped as the blonde glanced around her friend's room. She hated when people had the ability to notice her true emotions. Especially when she tried her hardest to keep them hidden. The last thing Lilly wanted was to make the day worse by showing her emotions. "I'm fine, Miley. Just very full." She spoke up after a minute of gathering up her thoughts. "Your room is beautiful, by the way. Such cheerful and bright colors." Her lips curved into a smile that almost reached her eyes. "Just like you."

The brunette couldn't help but wrap her arms around her friend, happy to see a smile appear on her face. "Thank you, Lil." She spoke in a soft voice as she hugged her friend close. Regardless of the smile Lilly displayed, Miley still sensed something had been bothering her. And she would definitely get it out of her.


	4. Chapter Four

_I'm very pleased to have updated this in just a bit over a week. My reason for the fast update is because I've seen how many people are interested in this story and that makes me really happy. I'll probably start on chapter five tomorrow and maybe have that out next week. Or later, I don't know. Hope everyone enjoys and please review! (:_

Chapter Four

The snowfall outside the Stewart house never let up; instead it only fell harder which led the Truscott's to spending the night. No one was bothered by this as they had all enjoyed each other's company. Robbie loved speaking with Lilly's mother and father. They seemed so positive and cheerful. It really amazed him how a family could be so positive during such a tragic and traumatic time. Yet he understood it. Because without the positivity they held, they wouldn't be able to make it through this horrific time or any of the horrific times they had gone through.

He had talked for a good while with Lilly's parents, asking them all to join he and Miley when they head down to Tennessee for the holidays. They gladly accepted the offer as they figured it would be a great experience for them, but especially for Lilly. Going with Robbie and Miley to Tennessee for the holidays would definitely shed some light into their daughter's life. This is exactly what the poor girl needed, her parents thought.

"I'm already tired of winter." The blonde spoke as she stared out Miley's window. "It's such a downer." She shook her head sadily as she turned to face the other. Her eyes quietly watched as Miley ran a brush through her thick, chestnut, curly hair. Envy was all Lilly could feel towards her friend as she had wished she could run a brush through her own hair. Or the hair she once had.

Miley noticed the blue eyes watching her and smiled softly at her. "You okay, Lil?" Her voice soothed as she set the brush down and headed over to sit by Lilly. "I know something's bothering you. I'd noticed that the minute you got here. Please tell me what it is sweetie, I'm worried about you." Her arms gently wrapped around the other girl's tiny body and pulled her close.

The other relaxed into the embrace and let out a sigh. Aside from her illness, talking to people about her problems was the thing Lilly hated most. She didn't want to burden them with that or make their day worse because they'd have to listen to her go on and on about such petty things.

Green eyes gazed into hers with deep concern as they waited for a reply. "Talk to me, Lilly. Please don't be scared to tell me what it is that's bothering you. You're my friend, sweetie, and I care about you. So whatever is upsetting you, I'd like to know so that I can help you." Miley spoke softly as she hugged her friend tight.

"It's nothing really. I had to tell my sister how serious my disease really is and that was very difficult." Lilly looked down, pained by the memory of her sister's heart-wrenching sobs. "She thought I was going to be fine...my parents were lying to her! They made her think that I'm perfectly fine and healthy! They were going to let her think that until the day I die... So she asked me to tell her the truth. I did. She deserves to know the truth and that will save my parents a lot of resentment in the long run."

The brunette gave her a sympathetic look as she wrapped her in a comforting hug. "Oh Lilly..." She held the girl close, rubbing her back in soothing circles. "You're brave...very, very brave for telling your sister the truth. That must have been so painful and hard, sweetie..." Her voice soft and gentle as she continued to bring comfort to her friend. "You're such a strong and precious person, Lilly. There is _not_ a doubt in my mind that you won't survive this."

Weeks passed and it was nearing the time for Lilly to go back to school. Something she had looked forward to as she hoped it would keep her mind off her disease. It had been a Sunday evening, the night before her first day back at school, and Lilly decided to spend it outside sitting on the porch with her younger sister as they watched the sun set.

Rose sat close to her sister, watching her like a hawk. Ever since she had been told the truth of the girl's disease, she refused to ever leave her side. She gently placed her hand on the other's arm and stroked it lightly. "Are you happy to go back to school tomorrow, Lilly?" Her soft brown eyes glanced up at her sister's blue eyes with wonder.

With a soft smile, Lilly nodded as she wrapped her arms comfortingly around the younger girl. "I'm more than happy to go back." That was true; she loved school. It kept her busy and her mind away from any melancholy thoughts. "What about you, Rosie? You ready to go back to school love?" She looked up at the sky, watching it turn different colors as the sun made it's way down the horizon.

"I guess I am. It's just school, I've been there all year so there's nothing spectacular about it for me." Her voice was anything but enthusiastic. School was definitely not one of her specialties. "I'm just worried about you're going back to school...What if people are mean to you just because of how you look? I don't want them to make you feel worse Lil... You're so beautiful and you don't even see it!"

The older sister let out a sigh, pulling Rose close. She rocked them softly as she stroked her sister's back in comforting circles. She thought it was so precious that the younger girl cared so much about her. No one could ask for a better sister. "Don't worry about me, sweetie. I'll be fine. I can look after myself." She spoke softly, continuing to comfort the other. "People are going to say something, whether it be to my face or not. That's part of life, sweetheart. I'm not worried about it, so please don't you worry about it. Focus on yourself, Rosie. You have a long, long life ahead of you and you need to focus on that. Do your best in school, sweetie, and let yourself be proud."

The door to Lilly's room gently opened as she lay peacefully in her bed. "Lilly, it's time to get up sweetie." Her mother's voice spoke gently as she quietly made her way to her daughter's side. "You've got to get ready for school, love." She pressed a soft kiss to the girl's forehead, stroking her hair lightly.

Lilly shook her head, pulling the covers over her head to hid herself from the light. She knew she had to get up eventually, but after letting it sink in through the night, Lilly changed her mind about going back to school. The last thing she wanted...needed... was to deal with the stares or hear the insults.

With a sigh, her mother slowly unwrapped the blankets from and pulled her into her arms. "What's the matter sweetie? Are you not ready to go back yet?" She asked softly, cradling her close.

"I don't know... I want to go back because I love my classes. But I'm not ready to deal with the teasing and taunting. People don't care that I have cancer or that I can die at any given minute...All they see in me is another person they can pick fun at to hide their own insecurities." The blonde spoke as her voice cracked with tears. "And don't tell me that what they say doesn't matter and isn't true! Because that's a bunch of bullshit! I'm sorry for swearing, but it is... I'm not pretty mother... I look like a damn alien for crying out loud!" The tears turned into anger as she made her way over to the mirror that sit above her dresser. "I have no hair, I look like a toothpick...and there are veins popping out _everywhere_! Tell me how the hell _anyone_ would want to look at that...because **I** sure as hell don't want to."

Taking a deep breath, Lilly slowly walked into the school entrance. She made sure to cover her head with a winter cap which she knew one of her teaches would make her take it off. But the last thing she was going to do was willingly go in with her head head showing. Why should she freely allow people to have a reason to bully her?

As she walked into the building, she realized she had no idea where her locker was...or any of her classes for that matter. She quickly made her way to the office, noticing a boy with shaggy brown hair speaking with a secretary. A smile slowly grew as she recognized exactly who he was. It had been her best friend Oliver Oken standing in the office talking to the secretary. And while she walked in there, she hoped to God that he hadn't forgotten about her.

"Oliver..." Her voice was quiet and almost shook when she said his name. But it was enough to stop the boy in his tracks as he turned around to stare in shock at his long lost best friend. "L-Lilly?" He spoke, his voice filled with suprise and a hint of concern. "It's been almost a year since you've been here... What happened? Are you okay, Lilly?" His deep brown eyes glanced over her body, seeing how pale and weak she looked.

Sighing, the blonde shook her head. "I'm...I'm not okay..." She started softly as she looked up into her friend's eyes with sorrow. "I had to leave last year because my cancer came back...And it's not leaving this time." He could hear the tears in her voice and grew worried. "I'm so sorry for not calling you or texting you about what was going on... I just...I didn't have the energy... And now I'm dying... Or should be dying."

Concern and sorrow washed over Oliver's face as he wrapped her in a soothing hug. "You're dying...? Lilly, why are you here when you're dying? You look so weak...you shouldn't be here..."

She shook her head furiously as anger started to build. How dare he tell her that she shouldn't be there! "Why am I here?" She asked, with growing anger in her voice. "I'm here because I don't want to die! I'd rather be here, at school, then fucking dying!" Lilly's eyes filled with angry tears as she pushed Oliver away from her. "I'd rather do something productive then rot away in the goddamn hospital."

"Lillian Truscott please take your hat off. You know it's a school policy not to wear hats during the school day." Her english teacher spoke to her in a soft but stern tone.

Lilly shook her head as looked down at the paper on her desk. There was no way that she would uncover her head. Not at school where people would torment her and make her feel even worse about herself. "I can't." Was her meek reply while she kept her eyes down at her paper. Hearing the quiet snickers confirmed her reason for her refusal.

The teacher slowly stood up from her desk before walking over to Lilly. She looked down at her, seeing the sorrow and fear that lay amongst her eyes. "Lilly, you have to take off your hat. I know you don't want to but if you don't, I'll have to send you to the principal's office. I really don't want to have to do that so please just take it off."

"If I take off my hat, you'll have to send me to the office for disturbing the class. If I take off my hat...my day will be a whole lot worse...so please let me wear it. No one wants to see what's underneath it." Her eyes slowly teared up as she lay her head against the desk. She definitely regretted her decision on going back to school.

Her teacher let out a sigh as she headed back to her desk. There was no way she could make her take off that hat after seeing how upset it made her. Of course the other students noticed the special treatment she got and grew angry. "You fuckin' serious? You're gonna let her wear her hat? If it were anyone else, you'd be having a damn fit! What a bunch of bull shit." A student spoke out as he glared over in Lilly's direction. "You little fuckin' bitch. Take your pathetic little hat off!" His anger took over as he made his way to her desk and forcefully grabbed her hat, throwing it on the floor, and revealing a head full of veins and very little hair.

The classroom filled with laughter as they all looked at the now sobbing blonde. She covered the back of her head with her hands, hoping to hide it, as her silent cries took over. She really regretted her decision. Death seemed almost perfect to her right now as she heard the laughs and taunts of her classmates.

"That was cruel, Ronald. Absolutely cruel. Get the hell out of here and walk yourself to the prinicipal's office. NOW!" She spoke with venom in her voice then turned her attention to the rest of the class. "Stop laughing and get to work or you'll all be joining him. None of you have any right to laugh at Lilly. And if I hear another sound out of any of you, I'll assign you detention for the rest of the week."

She gently approached the distraught blonde and looked down at her with sympathy. "Lilly...why don't I walk you down to the nurses' office." Her voice soothing as she grabbed the girl's hat and gently helped her up from her seat. "You need to go home and rest, you look so weak. Don't worry about assignments or anything until you feel better."

Arriving home, Lilly's body felt completely drained. She slowly made her way to the door and walked into the living room as she collapsed onto the couch. Feeling as drained as she had, she failed to realize that Miley was sitting right beside her with a concerned expression on her face.

Not until Miley spoke had she noticed she was there. "You okay, Lil? How was school?" The blonde jumped about a foot in the air when she heard her voice, then turned her head to look at her with confusion. A soft smile appeared on the other's face as she gently wrapped Lilly in her arms. "I thought I'd surprise you after a long day back at school. Plus I had nothing to do and your mom was a nervous wreck about your being in school all day." She looked into her eyes with concern. "Was school okay, sweetie?"

"I regret my decision more than I wish I weren't dying." She said, tears forming in her eyes. "I wore my hat to keep people from seeing my head... And no one seemed to mind until I got to my english class... My teacher asked me to take it off as we're not allowed to wear hats in school. I refused, there was no way I was going to give people a reason to laugh at me. So she let it go and went back to her desk...Then this guy got mad and grabbed my hat from my head... He threw it to the ground and had everyone laughing! I almost wished I was dead. I'd rather be dead than deal with people... I hate it! I hate it so much, Miley!"

The brunette couldn't believe her ears. How could a person be so rude as to take a person's hat off of them? That wasn't just rude, that was downright evil. She held Lilly closer to her, stroking her back softly to calm her down. "That's so rude, unbelievably rude. How dare anyone ever come over to you and take your hat. I'm so sorry sweetie! What an asshole...or assholes. None of them have the right to treat you that way." Miley could feel the smaller girl nearly shake in her arms so she held her tighter, laying Lilly's head onto her chest. "It's okay, Lilly, it's gonna be okay sweetheart. Don't ever say that you want to be dead! I know it's hard dealing with bullies on top of your awful disease, but don't you ever, ever say you want to be dead! When you feel that upset, you call me. I'm here for you, angel, I promise. Anytime, day or night, you call me when you're upset. And if you're so upset that you want to die, I'll come over here and comfort you. Is that understood, Lilly?"

Lilly weakly nodded her head as she continued to cry. She hated all the negativity she felt, that was foreign to her. "I don't know how much more I can take..." Her voice quiet and weak as she glanced down at the floor.

"What do you mean, sweetie?" Miley asked with concern as she rubbed soothing circles around the other's back.

Sighing, the blonde looked up at her friend. "I can't take the treatment anymore...I feel completely drained from a normal day of school... I feel like someone poured the life out of me and left my body to drown in it." She always hated her treatment, it ruined her life more than her actual disease had.

Miley felt her own eyes tear up as she held the smaller girl close to her, stroking her hair gently. "Oh Lilly... I'm so sorry that you have to deal with this. You don't deserve any of the suffering you've been put through, not a single ounce." She spoke softly and soothingly, hoping to bring her some sort of comfort. "But do not, do not give up! You're strong, sweetie, so very strong. So please don't ever give up. You will survive Lilly, I'm sure you will. I know the treatments you recieve are brutal and they take a lot out of you but they make you stronger."

"And what if they don't work? I've been told since the day I was diagnosed that every single day I live is only luck. So many doctors have told me that I shouldn't even be alive...So how the hell am I supposed to survive when I should be dead? The day I turn eighteen is the day I'm done with this. I can't take any of this anymore! I want to end my treatments and just live the rest of my life with at least some dignity. I've tried so hard to be positive about it, mostly for my sister, but I can't anymore. I'm dying and there's not a damn thing I or anyone can do to stop that."

Shaking her head, the brunette held her closer as tears fell from her eyes. "Lilly, you're not dying...I refuse to let you die. And I'm not letting you give up on yourself." Her voice soothing as she rocked them softly. "You're going to live because you're going to keep fighting. You're stronger than the cancer Lilly, you just need to realize that. And once you do realize that, you're going to beat it. So no, I'm not going to let you give up sweetie." She continued to rock back and forth, pressing a soft kiss to the blonde's forehead. "And when you're feeling weak or drained, I'll be right here to comfort you and help you. You're my friend...my best friend and I'm not going to let you die. I love you, sweetheart."


	5. Chapter Five

_It's been a little bit more than a week since I've updated it but this is faster than my usual extremely late updates. I was very busy with work so I didn't feel like working on this. But today I finally did and I'm happy with that. Hope everyone enjoys the chapter! Please, please, please review! I'd like to get at least two on this chapter before I update again. Thanks._

Chapter Five

Monday evening had the Truscott's and Miley sitting down to a deliciously prepared home-cooked meal. Leanne had spent most of the day worrying about how school was treating her eldest daughter so to keep her mind of that, she'd decided to cook a nice meal for dinner. And hoped that Lilly would be able to eat most of it.

She glanced over at the blonde girl, who had been playing around with her food. Her mother let out a sigh, hating that her daughter barely touched any of it. "Lilly, sweetie, do you not like it?" Mrs. Truscott asked softly, concerned with the girl's actions. "You need to eat, Lilly. How do you expect to feel any better when you continue to refuse to fuel your body?" She hadn't meant to sound harsh but that's what her daughter needed right now.

Shaking her head angrily, Lilly pushed her plate aside. She had enough of her parents continuously telling her that everything would be fine when she knew how wrong they were. "No. I love your cooking, mother..." Her eyes peered into her mother's with anguish. "It's not that I don't want to eat it...It's that I _CAN'T_. I can't eat it because of the toxic chemicals that my body gets drenched in every single day. I'm tired of it, I'm tired of everything. I can't make my disease go away, but I can stop my body from being drenched with toxic chemicals." Lilly knew saying this to her parents would certianly upset them but it was something she needed to say for herself. For once she needed to do something for _herself_.

"What the hell are you talking about, Lillian?" This time it was her father who spoke up. His voice full of anger and confusion. Why would his daughter be calling the medicine that's saving her life toxic? "You're lucky to be alive because of the chemotherapy you're recieving. It's not toxic, because if it were you'd have died by now."

The blonde grew even angrier as she glared in her father's direction. How could he defend the chemicals that ruined her life? They weren't helping her, they were doing more damage than the cancer. "I'm lucky to be alive? Are you serious? Are you fucking serious, dad? I'm not lucky to be alive, I fought to be alive! It's not goddamn luck! I'm sick of everyone saying it's luck...because it's not. I'm the reason I'm alive. I chose to fight and now I can't do it anymore. I refuse to let another ounce of that toxic medicine enter my body. I don't care what any of you say. I've let you and mother decide my fate for the past ten years...nearly eleven...and now it's my turn. It's my turn to decide what happens to my own body and I'm done with the chemotherapy. I'm going to die anyway so why the hell should it matter if I stop it or not? I want to live the rest of my life with dignity...I want my hair to grow back and I want to be able to eat without having to worry if it'll agree with me or not. I'll call my doctor and tell him myself what I've decided. He's going to listen to me because it's my choice. I deserve to make that choice."

Rage filled Mr. Truscott's body as he stood up from his seat and walked over to his daughter. He couldn't control the rage he felt as he lifted his hand to slap the distraught blonde across the face. It was loud and hard that everyone in the room stopped what they were doing to look over towards them. "How dare you, Lillian! How fucking dare you..." He seethed, watching the girl struggle not to cry. "If you're old enough to make such a decision then get the hell out of my house! You're disgusting."

Lilly's body shook in her seat as she looked up into her father's eyes with fear. She could barely hold her body up anymore with the amount it shook. Fortunately her mother rushed to her side, pulling her into her arms. The older woman cradled her softly, feeling anger that her husband had hurt her baby. "It's okay, sweetie..." She soothed softly into her daughter's ear, then glanced over to Miley and gestured for her to come over. The brunette complied and was there in a matter of seconds. "Please bring her to your house, Miley. I don't want her to be around her father right now. Not until I've talked to him about this."

Hours later had Lilly lying in an unfamiliar room and deep green eyes watching her with concern. "You okay, sweetheart?" The gentle voice woke her from her light sleep, causing her face to scrunch up in confusion. She completely forgot that Miley had taken her to her house or that her father nearly slapped her out of her chair during dinner. "It's okay, Lilly. You're safe. I brought you to my house so you could rest and get away from your father for a while. How's your face feeling, honey? Do you want a glass of water?" She pulled the confused blonde gently into her arms as she rubbed her back in soothing circles.

More confusion filled Lilly's eyes as she looked up into her friend's concerning ones. "Why does my face hurt?" She couldn't remember what had happened earlier nor could she remember who the girl sitting beside her was and began to push her away. "Who are you? Why would I need to be away from my father for a while? W-What happened?" Her eyes filled with tears as she looked up into Miley's eyes with fear.

"Shhh, don't cry sweetie... You're okay." She kept her voice soft and calm as she retained her hold on Lilly. "I'm Miley. We met a few months ago when you were in the hospital. Your face hurts because your dad got angry and he slapped you Lil... Why don't you remember? Do you have a headache, angel?" She grew more concerned, wondering why the girl couldn't remember anything.

Shaking her head, the disoriented blonde looked up at Miley with fear. "W-what do you mean I was in the hospital? What's wrong with me?" Her voice shook as she asked those two questions. Lilly had no clue what on earth was happening with her, her hard-working brain had felt completely fried.

A sad sigh escaped the taller girl's mouth as she held her frightened friend close. She was starting to wonder if it had been the cancer that was causing Lilly's memory to fade. "Sweetheart you have cancer. You were in the hospital for a good year and I came to meet you a few weeks before you were finally let out." Miley could feel her eyes welling up with tears as she peered down at the broken girl. "Why don't we get some rest? You look very tired, sweetie." She gently laid Lilly down, wrapping the blanket around her, and pressed a soothing kiss to her forehead. "Feel better, Lil."

Six am the next morning had Lilly jump out of bed and rush the down the stairs. To her surprise, instead of seeing her own parents, she saw Mr. Stewart and Miley sitting at their kitchen table watching her with concern. Then she remembered her mother had made her go home with Miley the night before so she wouldn't have to deal with her dad after the slapping incident. Slowly, she made her way over to the table and sat down beside her friend.

"Good mornin' there Lilly. You're up quite early." Robbie spoke in his husky accent with a smile. He got up from his chair and headed to the counter to make a cup of coffee for the girl.

The blonde smiled back at him, he reminded her of her own father and that really warmed her heart. "Good morning, Mr. Stewart sir. Well I have school and I'm sure my parents will be here to get me soon." She spoke softly, not wanting to face another day of nasty looks or taunts.

Miley shook her head furiously as she wrapped her arms protectively around her friend. The last thing she was going to allow was Lilly's heading off to school just to be bullied again. "Lil, you're not going back to school after what happened yesterday. No way sweetie! There is absolutely no way you're going back there today. Besides your mom called and said she wants you to stay home from school anyway because of how bad you felt last night." Her voice was gentle yet stern, making sure her friend knew that there had been no way of negotiating about it.

Before Lilly could say anything about that, Robbie came back in with a cup of coffee for her. "Now I don't know what you like in your coffee, but I figured you needed a cup. I'll get the cream out so you can pour whatever amount you'd like." He smiled, setting the cup on the table in front of her before heading back to get the cream. "And yes, Miles is right. You're not going to school today, that comes straight from your mother. Who will be here later this afternoon once she's done with her errands." The southern man spoke as he came back with a jug of cream. "You can just have Miley put it away when you two are finished. I'm going to head on out for my morning jog." He grabbed his jacket and was out the door in a matter of seconds.

"Your dad's so kind, Miley." The blonde said with a soft smile on her face as she mixed some of the cream into her coffee. "Speaking of fathers...I'm really sorry you had to hear my dad's screaming last night. He doesn't usually do that...He was just upset with me for what I said." It was very rare for Lilly's father to act out as had and she knew that had only been due to what she said. She knew her dad would never intentionally hurt her. That slap was due to his emotions.

Miley, on the other hand, didn't quite understand how she felt about what happened the night before. She knew she hadn't liked how Lilly's father let his emotions lead him to hurting his own daughter. "Do not apologize for anything that happened last night. It's not your fault, sweetie. If anything, your father owes you an apology. He slapped you really hard, Lilly... You can see his handprint on your cheek... Does it still hurt honey?" She gently placed her hand onto the bruise, stroking it softly with her thumb.

Lilly shook her head as she took a sip of her coffee. The taste had been so rich and creamy, the blonde had to stop herself from drinking it all in one sip. Savoring anything that tasted great was definitely not one of her strong suites. "He didn't mean to slap me... He was just upset." She said quietly, looking down in shame. What if he had meant it?

The taller girl let out a sigh, not wanting to make her friend feel bad and gently pulled her into a hug. "Okay, sweetie. I hope he didn't mean to, Lil. I really do." She spoke softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'm going to put the cream away and make us something for breakfast. Do you like pancakes, Lilly?" When she felt the smaller girl hug her back and noticed the small smile on her face, she knew the answer to her question.

As Miley gathered up the dishes, she sadly realized how weak and disoriented her friend looked trying to help her clean up. "Lil, honey, why don't you go rest on the couch? You look exhausted." Her voice full of concern while watching the smaller girl weakly shake her head in refusal. "Lilly, please go rest. You'll pass out if you try to do anything else right now. Come on sweetie, you need to lay down for a bit." She placed the dishes in the sink, then made her way over to the blonde and gently helped her into the living room.

Gently laying Lilly on the couch, the brunette looked down at her with sympathy. "Rest, Lil. I'm going to finish cleaning up and then I'll come sit with you." She stroked the smaller girl's cheek softly before heading back to the kitchen. Miley quickly placed the dirty dishes into the dishwasher, not wanting to be away from her ill friend for too long. After the incident the evening before, she was still very worried about the other and had planned on telling Mrs. Truscott about it.

Just as she was ready to head back to Lilly, her father came jogging in the kitchen door. He sniffed the air and smiled over at his daughter. "You made pancakes for you and Lilly, didn't you bud? And you used my recipe." Robbie chuckled as he reached down to take off his shoes, then walked over to the coffee pot to start a fresh brew. "I've taught you well, darlin'." A smile plastered his face as he patted his daughter's head.

"I figured I couldn't go wrong with pancakes and I was right. Lilly really enjoyed them." She smiled softly, wrapping her arms around her father. "I love ya, daddy. You're a wonderful father." Miley spoke softly while pressing a kiss to his cheek, then headed into the living room to sit with her friend.

Pouring himself a cup of coffee, Robbie smiled to himself. No one had a better daughter than he had and that made him the happiest father in the world. He grabbed his mug then went to sit down at the kitchen table with his newspaper. Ever since Miley met Lilly her whole personality changed, which Robbie found to be a very pleasant thing. He loved the new cheerful, positive, and caring Miley.

A week later had Lilly back in the hospital due to her having more and more memory problems. After performing a number of tests on her, a tumor was found lurking on the right side of her brain. Her doctor had imformed them that evening and mentioned the only way they could get rid of it was to start a very high dose of chemotherapy. A chemotherapy that had been much stronger than what Lilly was used to.

Unfortunately the incident with her father caused both her parents to fight which made her feel even worse. Mr. Truscott had still been very angry with Lilly for the things she said about ending her treatment. Leanne was furious with him for slapping their own daughter and nearly kicked him out the night it happened, but for both her children's sakes she stopped herself.

Leanne hovered over her daughter as she watched her sleep and let out a sad sigh. She hated that her baby girl was back in the hospital after only a couple months. And now that Lilly had to go through an even more invasive round of chemotherapy, her mother realized that the girl didn't have much time left. The cancer finally reached her daughter's brain as her doctor said it would making Mrs. Truscott feel tears coming rolling down her cheeks. She was losing her child. The worst thing any parent would ever go through and there was not a thing she could do to stop it.

Just then the door opened and in came a concerned looking Miley. "Mrs. Truscott, I'm so sorry to just come here without calling or anything but I only now heard about Lilly's being back in the hospital so I needed to come see her! I'm sorry I haven't come sooner, I was unbelievably busy with work. How's Lilly doing? Is she okay?" Her voice full of concern and worry as she made her way over to where Leanne sat besided the sleeping girl. She peered down at her friend with tears welling up in her eyes. Seeing her so broken made her heart shatter, the poor girl didn't deserve to suffer anymore.

"Don't be sorry, Miley dear. I know how busy you are, so does Lilly." Leanne spoke softly, her tone saddened. "In all honesty, Lilly's not doing well. They found a tumor in her brain, which we expected, but they can't do much about it until she finishes the new dose of chemotherapy...Which is much stronger than what she's used to. And so far, she's not doing too well with it. It's draining all her energy, she can only stay up for a couple hours until she starts feeling weak again. I think this is it, Miley...she's probably not going to live much longer..." Her voice cracked as she spoke, tears streaming down her face. "I'm losing my little girl! I don't know what's worse...watching her deal with the horrible side effects from her treatment...or knowing that she's dying..."

Miley felt her own eyes feel with tears as she listened to her friend's mother heartbreaking news. She felt herself walk over to the sobbing mother and wrap her arms around her in a soothing embrace. Lilly's mother happily accepted the hug, wrapping her own arms around her daughter's friend. The two of them cried together for nearly twenty minutes before they felt the sobs ease up. "Why don't you head home for a bit, Mrs. Truscott? You look exhausted... I'll stay here with Lilly and make sure she's okay." The brunette said in a hoarse tone after finally releasing the embrace.

Sniffling, Leanne nodded in agreement as she got up to get her coat. "I need to get home anyway, Rose is done with school in about an hour and the last thing I need is for her to be home alone. Besides I need to bring Lilly some fresh pajamas so she can be comfortable." She leaned over the bed to press a soft kiss to her daughter's forehead. "Thank you for caring about my little girl, Miley. That means a lot to me, and to Lilly of course. You're the best thing in her life right now and I really appreciate how much you do for her." The older woman said softly, pulling the singer into her arms for a motherly hug. "I better get going, have Lilly call me once she's up and feelin' okay. I'll probably come back this evening with Rose." She released Miley, kissed her daughter's forehead one last time, and was reluctantly out the door.

Thirty minutes after the mother left had Lilly sitting up looking as confused as ever. She stared around the room, seeing Miley sitting right beside her holding her hand. "Oh my god..." She spoke in schock as she continued to stare at the green-eyed singer. "You're Miley S-Stewart!" Shaking her head still confused and in shock to see her favorite singer in the same room as her, the blonde pinched her own arm. "You're really here? What on earth are you doing here?"

Hearing her say that caused sad tears to form in her eyes as she pulled the disoriented girl into her arms. "Yes, honey, I'm really here...I'm here because you're my best friend and I hate seeing you so sick..." She said gently, laying Lilly's head onto her chest as she rocked her softly. "I love you so much, Lil, you're so precious." It was painful to watch her friend become lost and confused, Miley wished so badly she could make the girl feel better.

"What do you mean we're best friends? How can we be best friends if we've just met?" Lilly's eyes were wide with uncertainty as she spoke. This had the other girl wrap her arms tighter around her, feeling extreme sorrow towards her friend. "Wait...I should be happy we're best friends...it's always been my dream to meet you! I don't understand how my parents could set this up..." A tiny smile made it's way across her face.

Miley cradled the blonde's head in her hands, stroking her cheeks gently. Watching her memory come and go had been very hard for her, she hated seeing her poor friend struggle to remember things. "Sweetie, we've met a while ago... And ever since we've become really close friends. You mean a lot to me, Lilly. You have a tumor on your brain, that's why you can't always remember meeting me. Please don't let that upset or scare you, sweetheart, the doctor said this is normal until the tumor is removed." She spoke in soft, hushed tone as she held her friend close.

A frown replaced the tiny smile as the smaller girl looked away. How could she not remember meeting her favorite singer? That upset her more than anything, other then the fact that she realized how it hurt Miley when she couldn't remember her. "I'm s-sorry..." Lilly choked out as she felt a tear run down her cheek. "I wish I could remember meeting you...it doesn't make sense that I wouldn't...you're my favorite singer! How could I forget meeting you? I'm so sorry..." Her body shook as she let out a sob.

"No honey...don't you apologize! It's not your fault! Please don't feel bad, Lilly. I understand, I completely understand. Why don't we just rest and watch television? You need to calm down sweetie." Miley held the girl tight in her arms as she pulled one of the blankets off the bed and wrapped it around the two of them. "Shhh, it's going to be okay precious girl. Close your eyes and relax. Don't worry about a thing." She pressed a soothing kiss to the top of Lilly's head and within minutes both of them were fast asleep.

Night came quickly, bringing more harm to Lilly than good. Miley ended spending the night with her as she could not face leaving the poor girl to be all on her own when she'd been feeling as bad as she had. The doctor came in to check on her a little after nine and ended up giving her a strong dose of pain medicine to help alleviate some of the symptoms she was having. Once her mother spoke with him about her care, she took Rose home, telling Lilly she'd be back in the morning to see her.

The ill girl lay miserbaly in her bed as Miley set beside her, stroking her back in soothing circles. She peered down at her friend, eyes filled with sympathy and compassion, while continuing the soothing motion on her back. "You okay, babe?" The taller girl asked gently, looking at Lilly with concern.

Shaking her head, the blonde let out a painful squeak. She hated feeling so weak, so helpless that all she could was to lay in her bed. The only thing that had been getting her through the pain was having her best friend there with her. Her sad blue eyes glance up into Miley's green as she feared the answer to her question she'd been about to ask. "M-Miley... c-could you possibly lay with me? I don't mean to ask such a weird question...but it just helps to h-have someone h-hold me when I feel this bad... If my mother was here, she'd be the one I ask but she's not..."

"Oh Lilly, honey... You don't have to worry about asking me to hold you. I know it comforts you and helps you deal with the pain. And you know I would do anything to make you feel better! So of course I'll hold you Lilly, don't _ever _be afraid to ask me that." Miley said in a gentle tone as she slowly made her way over to the bed and carefully lain down beside her. She wrapped her arms securely around Lilly's waist, pulling her to her chest. "I'll always be here to comfort you, Lil. So don't ever feel frightened to ask me for comfort. You're my best friend sweetie, that's what I'm here for." The brunette pressed a comforting kiss to her forehead.


	6. Chapter Six

_Well I was going to wait until I got two reviews on the last chapter to update...but I couldn't help myself. I'm not really sure if I like what I wrote for this chapter but my mind thought differently...I kind of feel bad for writing it. As if cancer isn't enough for Lilly, I had to give her more suffering to deal with. :\ I still don't know how I like it. Anyway, please read and review. Let me know what you think!_

Chapter Six

Wednesday morning arrived bringing with it more pain for Lilly to suffer through. Fortunately she had Miley there to help her through the agonzing pain. That, of course, helped a lot but she still hated the treatment. It had been so intense that the hair on her head that just started to grow back was already falling out and this time so were her eyebrows. Losing her eyebrows was certainly something new to Lilly as they've never completely fallen out before, so that had frightened her.

It was nearly nine am when the doctor came in to check on her. The look on his face told both girls' that he had bad news to share with them. As he stood in front of Lilly's bed, he gazed down at her with sympathy. "Good morning, Lilly." He began, a small smile plastered on his face. "We're going to start the second dose of your chemotherapy in just a few minutes. But before we do, I have some unfortunate news I must share with you." He glanced down at the chart in his hands and sighed. "Unfortunately, the brain tumor is growing much faster than we expected and I'm afraid the chemo isn't doing much to stop that. The only way it can work is if we try a completely different treatment all together..."

Lilly turned her head to stare up at her doctor, her eyes filled with the tears as she shook her head. If the chemotherapy she'd been recieving wouldn't do anything to help get rid of the tumor then there was no way she could allow her body anymore harm from another treatment. She knew she wouldn't be able to handle that. "I-I can't go through with another treatment...No way. Whatever chemicals are in this mixture are draining the life out of me! There's no way I can handle anything stronger." Her voice cracking with every word she spoke.

The older doctor felt his own emotions for the girl building but pushed them aside as he knew that wouldn't help the situation. "Let me just tell you about the treatment and you can think about it." He said, hoping she'd at least consider it. "It is a much stronger treatment than the chemo we have you on right now, and I know you're not doing well with it. But I can guarentee that even after a few hours of this new treatment, your tumor will start to shrink. The reason for this is because we use a blend of radiation therapy and a very strong course of chemotherapy. We'll have to do it once a day for a good four weeks and yes you will feel drained and you won't want to do anything...but the end results I promise will be worth it. I know how much you hate treatment, Lilly, I do but you need to seriously consider this and talk it over with your mom." His voice sincere and full of the outmost sympathy towards his patient as he went over to her IV line. He slowly placed the medicine into the IV, glancing down at the blonde. "I'll be back to check on you this afternoon, you can tell me your decision then."

Lilly tried to sit up to do some school work but felt her body fall back. She let an irritated groan as she punched her pillow in anger. "God, please take me...I'm so sick of suffering..." The blonde sobbed out as she pulled the blankets over her head. She let her body shake as sobs continued to escape and wished so badly that someone was there with her. Neither of her parents had come to see her and Miley had to leave as she had an interview to do. Of course she'd have rather stayed with Lilly, but there was nothing she could to get out of it.

Sniffling, the blonde wiped her tears while reaching for the remote which had unfortunately caused as sharp pain to run through the right side of her head. Lilly screamed in agony as she tried to hit the nurse button but failed to reach it. Fortunatetly she didn't have to press it as shortly after a nurse came running in, concern written all over her face.

The nurse quickly made her way over to the screaming patient and gently handed her some medicine. "Here you go, sweetie, this will take the pain away." She said in a soothing voice, handing her a glass of water and two pain pills. "Is there anything else you need before I go, honey?" She stroked the girl's back in a motherly manner.

"C-could you call my mom please? I'd do it myself...but I-I'm r-really tired." Her eyes started drooping as she spoke, her head fell backwards to land on the pillow beneath her.

Her nurse nodded while watching the girl with empathy, she hated seeing her patients in pain. Before exiting the room to call Lilly's mother, she gently wrapped the blankets around the blonde's now sleeping body and sighed sadly. "You poor little thing, I hope you feel better Miss Lilly." The nurse said softly, quietly leaving the room.

Miley sat impatiently in her dressing room as she peered over at the clock. She hated having to leave Lilly for an interview and would have done anything to stay with her. Yet she knew she had already promised to do this interview months in advance and it's the least she could do for her fans after being gone for so long. Sighing, she turned to look at her father who had been busy reading his book.

He felt his daughter's eyes on him while he gently set down his book. Looking up at her, a smile spread across his face. "You'll do great, bud. As you always do." His voice full of sincerity as he went over to pull her into a warm embrace. "I know you're worried about being away from Lilly, but I'm sure she'll be okay. As soon as this is over, I'll bring you to the hospital so you can spend the day with her." Robbie half-lied to his daughter as he knew Lilly probably wasn't okay, but he didn't see the need to upset her before her interview.

"She's weak...she needs someone to be there with her and neither of her parents have visited her today... I hope she knows I'll be back... I'm so worried about her, daddy... I really, really am." Tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them in so she wouldn't have to re-do her make-up. "I have to call her and make sure she's okay." She spoke softly, grabbing her phone from her purse and dialing her friend's number.

She frantically waited for her friend to pick and grew more worried with every ring. Finally she heard a very weak hello which caused a small smile to form on her face. "Hi, Lilly. It's Miley. I was just calling to make sure you're okay...Are you sweetie?" Her voice filled with nothing but concern and worry as she waited for Lilly to reply.

It took a bit for the blonde to say anything back, making Miley worry even more. "D-death." Was her shaky, quiet response. This caused the tears held in Miley's eyes to finally release while she painfully listened to her friend's hard breathing. "Lilly, why are you breathing so hard? Sweetie, calm down! Please calm down angel...you're causing yourself more harm..." Her voice finally cracked she let herself freely cry.

Mr. Stewart felt his heart break for his daughter and her friend. The pain poor Lilly had to go through was just awful, no one deserved to suffer as she had. He gently made his way over to the sobbing brunette, pulling her into his arms as he grabbed the phone from her. "Lilly, darlin', this is Miley's dad. What's the matter?" He asked softly, his southern accent clearly evident.

"P-pain..." She choked out between painful sobs as her body shook. Robbie hated hearing her cry and wished there was anything he could do to make her pain go away. He held his own daughter closer, rubbing her back in comforting circles. "Lilly, why don't you rest? As soon as you wake up, Miley will be there with you. You need to calm down, darlin', and rest."

Miley took the phone from her father and gently put it to her ear. "Lilly, I'm here. I'll talk to you until you fall asleep. Okay honey?" She spoke soothingly into the phone, hoping to bring comfort to the girl. Lilly only sobbed louder, not being able to answer as her pain worsened. Frowning, the brunette stroked the tip of her phone gently. "Shhh... You're okay, Lilly. I know you're in a lot of pain, babe, but you have to calm down. Please calm down, Lil. I'm here, I won't hang up until I know you're okay and sleeping."

As the interview finally came to an end, after an hour of repeated questions, Miley quickly ran back to her dressing room to change back into her regular clothing. All she wanted to do was get back to the hospital and comfort her best friend. Entering the room, she noticed the defeated expression on her father's face which caused her to grow worried.

Robbie turned to face his daughter, wrapping her into a fierce embrace. He just recieved a phone call he wish he hadn't and was now dreading telling his daughter the news. "Mile, bud...I got a phone call...It's not good news that's for sure." She looked up at him, her eyes filled wit tears, resting her head onto his shoulder. "It's not Lilly, darlin'...not entirely. Her parents were in a car accident this morning... Her father died on the way to the hospital and her mother is brain dead... Lilly's nurse called me and told me... She was trying to reach Lilly's mother earlier in the afternoon and found out about the crash... Lilly doesn't even know about it yet..." His voice nearly cracked as he said this to his daughter.

"W-what?" Miley felt her body nearly shake as sobs filled the room. "Oh my god...Lilly's going to be so heart-broken! We have to go see her! She's gonna need us, daddy... Is her sister okay?" She stood up from her father's arms, beginning to frantically pace the room.

The southern father let his own tears fall as he watched his daughter in empathy. He remembered how hard it had been for the two of them when his wife passed away. Thinking of how Lilly would have to deal with both her parents' death on top of her own fatal disease broke his heart. No child deserved to suffer through such pain. "They didn't say anything about Rose...I don't think she was with them. We'll have to call the school and ask if she's there." He spoke in a soft tone, glancing down at his hands. "Let's head on over to the hospital, Lilly'll need all the love and support she can get."

Lilly lay in her bed, the blankets wrapped loosely around her, as she stared blankely ahead. She still hadn't seen either of her parents and that concerned her. She understood her father had still been angry with her but why would that stop him from visiting her? Maybe he really did mean to slap her. Shaking her head, she tried to calm her mind and was relieved when she heard the door open.

Within a few seconds, the blonde felt her body being engulfed into a bone-crushing hug by her concerned best friend. Miley held her close, feeling much empathy for the girl. She didn't deserve any more pain. Not a single once. "Lilly, sweetheart, something terrible happened this morning..." The brunette started, looking down at her friend. "Your parents were in a car accident, honey... Your father died before they even brought him here and your mother is brain dead... I am so, so sorry sweetie! I really, really am." She tried her best to keep her voice calm for Lilly, but the news was still fresh to her.

Shaking her head violently, Lilly couldn't believe her ears. How could her parents be gone? That definitely hadn't been true, her parents wouldn't leave her...she needed them. "No...NO! Don't lie to me!" She sobbed out as she tried pushing Miley away. "My parents are not dead, Miley! They wouldn't leave me...they wouldn't do that..." Her voice cracked as vicious sobs took over her body.

Miley pulled her broken friend into her arms as she rocked them back and forth. "Lilly, I would never lie to you...Especially not about something as serious as this. I hate seeing you in pain, sweetie, I wouldn't ever purposely cause it." She spoke in a gentle, soothing tone, continuing to hold the girl close. "This is true, unfortunately...I'm so sorry sweetheart! I truly am... I know how hard it is to lose a parent, it'll be twice as hard to lose both. It's not going to be easy, Lilly, but I promise you that I will be here for you through it all. And so will my dad, we won't leave you."

Words not being able to form, all the blonde could do was allow herself to cry in her friend's comforting arms. The thought that she'd never be able to see her parents again shattered her heart. She hadn't even talked to her father since the night of the incident which made her feel even worse about the situation.

"Shhh, it's gonna get better...Give it time sweetie." Miley felt the other start to tremble, wrapping her arms tigher around her while pressing a soothing kiss to the top of her head. "I'm here for you, Lil; whatever you need you just tell me." She gently stroked the distraught girl's back, hating the pain she felt.

Hours later had both Miley and Lilly asleep in the hospital bed wrapped in each other's arms. Robbie sat in the chair beside the bed, watching them with sadness. He still hadn't comprehend the news of what happened to Lilly's parents. It didn't seem real to him...or any of them for that matter. Slowly shaking his head, he reached for the remote and quietly turned the television on. Maybe watching television would help to keep his own mind off things.

Right as the southern man was about to doze off, the door to the room gently opened to reveal Lilly's doctor. He stood in the doorway while glancing around the room to find his patient and her friend lying together in her bed. The news of her parents' accident had surely traveled; he, himself, could hardly believe it.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Stewart." He kept his voice quiet as to not wake the two sleeping girls. "I've heard about Lilly's parents so I had to come and give her my condolences. It's hard to believe that they're really gone...such an unexpected loss." The doctor looked down over towards his patient, the tear stains on her face clearly evident. He knew the loss of her parents would definitely not help her through the brutal treatments she was about to por-take in.

Robbie made himself sit up straight, to keep himself from falling asleep, then peered up at the doctor with sorrow. "Good morning, doctor." His voice filled with anything but enthusiasm. "It certainly is hard to believe...The poor girl already has enough pain to deal with and now she's losing her parents... She doesn't deserve it. Not at all." He glanced over to his daughter and Lilly, wishing there was something he could to cheer them up. The pain that Miley dealt with when her mother died was unbearable so he couldn't even begin to imagine the pain Lilly would have to deal with losing both her parents.

The doctor exhaled deeply. He hated having to bring up his next question, especially so soon after the tragic accident, but knew how important it was to do so. "We'll need someone to sign for Lilly's treatment as she's still underage...but most of her relatives live out of state so it'd be difficult to get one of them to come out here." He looked over at Mr. Stewart, his face desperate for the southerner's agreement. "Would you be willing to sign for her?"

"Oh, of course I will." Mr. Stewart stood up from his seat, walking over to where both the sleeping girls' lay and pressed a loving kiss to each of their foreheads. "I know she's going to need as much love and support while dealing this tragic loss, and believe me, Mile and I will be right here for her through all of it."

Lilly woke up to see the moon shining it's light through the window. She glanced around the room, hoping to see her parents, but instead all she had seen were Miley and Robbie sitting beside her bed. Tears fell from her eyes as she remembered the awful new. There was no way her parents had been gone. She needed them; the thought of fighting her disease without the support of her parents frightened her.

The minute she saw Lilly's eyes open, Miley was by her side in a matter of seconds. Sitting beside the blonde, she wrapped her arms protectively around her while pulling her closer in the process. "How ya feelin', sweetie pie?" She soothed, rubbing the broken girl's back in comforting circles.

"N-numb..." Was the only word Lilly could think of to describe how she felt. "I-It doesn't seem real..." She spoke quietly, letting tears freely flow from her eyes. "W-w-where's Rose?" Worry grew in her voice.

Miley gently pulled her friend into a warm embrace, placing Lilly's head onto her chest. "It's gonna be okay, Lil. I know it's hard right now, it'll be that way for a while sweetheart but I promise it does get better. My daddy and I are here for you. You don't have to be strong or hide your emotions, Lilly." She rocked her friend softly, wishing there was something she could do to make her pain go away. "Your sister is staying with a friend from school for the weekend...She doesn't know about the accident yet."

Hearing that only made the blonde feel worse. She'd have tell her sister the horrible news and eventually Rose would be left without anyone. The thought of her younger sister living with no parents or herself broke her heart. She couldn't do that to her. The last thing she wanted was to see her baby sister suffer alone.

Lilly peered up into the green eyes that were watching her with desolation. Tears streamed down her face as she thought about the long road of suffering her younger sister would have to deal with. "I-I hate that I-I'll have to tell Rose about our parents' death..." She stared up at Miley, her eyes puffy with tears. "She's already dealing with the pain of knowing I'll be dying soon...now she has no parents! I can't do that to her... She's going to need me to help her through our parents' death and I'll end up leaving her too! I'm a horrible, horrible sister..." Cries turned into heart-wrenching sobs as she grew angrier with herself for having to leave her own sister.

"Oh Lilly, sweetheart, it's not your fault that any of this has happened! Don't say that sweetie... Rose certainly won't feel that way; she knows your disease is serious and she knows you would never leave her willingly. Please do not blame yourself for anything, you can't help that you're sick! Don't worry about that now, you don't have to tell her until she comes here on Sunday. You need time to grief before you deal with anything else. And I'll be right here to comfort you, sweetie. I promise." Miley spoke gently, laying both of them down in the bed. She carefully laid Lilly against her chest while wrapping the blanket around them.

The blonde tried to relax in the strong, comforting arms that held her but she still hadn't been able to control the worry she felt towards her sister. "I-I-I t-think I've made my decision." She nearly stuttered, hating herself for coming up with such a decision. "I'm-I'm done with my treatment...All of it." She knew it was wrong of her to base her decision off wanting to be with her parents again but at the time she didn't care.

Miley shook her head, holding the girl tighter in her arms as she stroked her cheek lightly with her thumb. There was no way she would allow her friend to give up because of her parents' death. It seemed a bit selfish that she wouldn't want her friend to be with her parents but she also knew that Lilly had no right to give up on herself, reguardless of how painful it was to lose her parents. "Honey, please don't make a decision like that right now. You're still too upset to make that decision. I know it's hard, baby doll, I do...but you can't give up on yourself. Your parents would never want you to do that, especially your mother. She loved you more than anything, sweetie. Losing you was the hardest thing she'd ever have to go through. So please don't make a serious decision like that right now. Your life is too precious to just throw away." She spoke, tears in her eyes as she glanced down into Lilly's eyes with empathy. "It's gonna get better, sweetie, you just need to give it time." She softly rocked them back and forth, hoping her distraught friend would soon fall asleep.

The next morning came only to make the situation feel even worse. Miley sat beside her friend, gently stroking her cheek as she watched her sleep. It had been a rough night for all three of them, but finally after hours of crying she got Lilly to sleep with the soothing sound of her singing. Watching her friend deal with the loss of her parents made the other girl feel awful for her. Hearing how she wanted to give up on herself so easily had Miley very concerned.

Robbie sat on the other side of the bed, glancing over at his daughter ever so often. He still couldn't believe that what happened yesterday afternoon was even real. It seemed as a horrible nightmare to him. Just a few weeks ago he had met Lilly and her parents for the first time. And they would have enjoyed a nice trip to the south in only a month from now. But all because of an accident, everything had rapidly changed.

He looked over at Miley, a gloomy smile on his face. "It's gonna be all right, bud..." His voice calm as he went over to hold his daughter in a loving embrace. "And don't worry about Lilly's not continuing her treatment...I already signed the forms. She starts next week. It's going to be hard for her, darlin'... You need to be strong for her and give her comfort when she needs it."

Miley wrapped her own arms around her father's neck, burrying her head in the crook of it. "I know daddy. And I'll be there for her. I always will." She reached up to kiss her dad's cheek, peering into his eyes. "I need to quit my singing career...at least for now. Lilly needs me to be here with her. And I can't do that without quiting my career. So that's what I'm doing. I don't care what the press say or what my fans think...yes I know that's rude of me...but Lilly's quite a bit more important than any of that." She spoke softly, glancing over at the blonde to make sure she was still asleep.

"I think that's a wise decision, bud." Robbie rubbed his daughter's back gently. "You're an amazing person, Mile."

Shaking her head, the brunette made her way over to Lilly's sleeping form while pressing a comforting kiss to her forehead. "No, daddy, Lilly's an amazing person." Miley spoke soothingly, looking down at her friend with a sad smile. "Lilly's the most precious person in the world... And the poor thing deserves some happiness for once! She doesn't deserve all the pain and suffering she's getting... I hate watching her suffer; it hurts me to see her hurt." She delicately grabbed her friend's hand, holding it softly in hers as she stroked it with her thumb. "You're going to be okay, my precious Lilly." She pulled the girl into her arms and soothingly whispered into her ear, "I love you so much, sweetie."


	7. Chapter Seven

_I'm so sorry it took me a while to update this story, I had a bit of Writer's block... Anyway I finally finished writing this chapter and I'm still not sure about the fact that I made her parents die... ): I feel so bad for doing that to Lilly! Please read and review, I love to hear what people think of my writing._

Chapter Seven

The clock struck a quarter to nine when Lilly finally awoke that morning. Memories of yesterday's tragedy didn't even cross her mind, mostly because she couldn't remember it. She slowly sat up, stretching her arms, and looked around the room to find Miley sitting right beside her. A small smile grew on her face as she remembered the encounter they had a few days ago. "Good morning Miley...It's good to see you again. What brings you here?" Her voice filled with some cheerfulness as she was clueless about what had happened the day before.

Miley let out a sad sigh, pulling the other into a warm embrace. She realized her memory had gone again and would hate having to tell her the news of her parents all over again. "Morning sweetie." The brunette pressed a soothing kiss to her forehead, trying to keep her voice from cracking. "I want to be here for you, Lil. I care about you."

Wrapping her own arms around the taller girl, Lilly smiled up at her. "An amazing friend you are, Miley." She reached her hand up to stroke her friend's cheek. "I'm so thankful to my parents for giving me the oppurtunity to meet you..." Her voice gentle as she continued to stroke the other's cheek. The events of yesterday still hadn't sunk in her mind as she mentioned her parents.

Another sad sigh escaped as tears fell from Miley's eyes. She hated that her friend would have to be told of the death of her parents again...It would be even harder for the young girl than expected as none of them took in consideration of her failing memory. She didn't even know what to say to her right now yet alone break the news to her.

"M-Miley..." Lilly looked up at her friend's sad green eyes, wiping her tears softly. "Why are you crying? Are you okay, Miley? Oh no...I didn't upset you did I?" She gently squeezed the girl tighter, worried as to what was upsetting her.

Shaking her head, Miley put on a soft smile for the girl while pulling her closer. "Oh no sweetie. You didn't do a thing to upset me." She placed a loving kiss to the top of her head. "I'm just so, so happy to have you in my life, Lilly. You're such a precious person and I hate seeing you fight so hard. I don't want you to suffer anymore, sweetheart."

Later that morning, Lilly's doctor slowly walked in the room. He peered over at her, noticing she was awake, and placed a friendly smile on his face. "Good morning, Lilly." His voice sympathetic towards the ill girl. "We're going to be taking you down for your radiation therapy here in just a few minutes."

The blonde's eyes grew wide with fear at the thought of having radiation all through out her body. In the nearly eleven years she'd been suffering with leukemia, she never once had to encounter radiation therapy. And thinking about it caused her body to tense up. She hoped that her doctor would allow Miley to be with her during the treatment. "C-can M-Miley come with me?" Her voice trembled with apprehension.

Miley sensed her fear as she wrapped her arms protectively around her, looking over at the doctor. She, too, hoped that he would allow her to stay with Lilly during the process. The doctor cleared his throat while flipping through the blonde's charts. "I don't see why not." He smiled kindly at the girls. "You'll just have to be very careful, Miley. And stay sanitized." He nodded as he spoke, then gently brought a wheel chair over to the side of Lilly's bed.

Lilly stared at the wheel chair with refusal. There was no way she would allow the freedom of mobility to be taken away from her. She profusely shook her head, letting both the doctor and Miley know that there would be no way of getting her in the thing. "I can walk myself down to the treatment, doctor." She spoke quietly, but quite sternly.

"Lilly, sweetie, you're weak...you're not stable enough to walk on your own. I know you hate being told that, but it's true Lil..." The taller girl soothed, pressing a loving kiss to her forehead. She realized the day she met Lilly that she loathed losing her independence. Continuing to bring comfort to her friend, she turned to face the doctor with a pleading expression. "If I promise to hold her hand the whole time, will you allow her to walk?"

The doctor took a deep breath, coming to the realization that his patient wouldn't succumb to his request of being wheeled down. And he certainly hadn't want to upset the girl anymore then she already was, so he nodded his approval. "You'll have to walk slowly, Lilly, and keep a hold of your IV line."

After the treatment ended, Miley had to carry her back to the room as she had no energy left to walk. She softly stroked the blonde's back before gently laying her in the bed and pressing a soothing kiss to her forehead. "Have a good nap, sweetheart." She whispered softly into her friend's ear while carefully wrapping the blanket around her.

Lilly looked up at her, shaking her head weakily. "I-I'm not tired." Her reply obviously a lie as her eyes nearly drooped shut with every breath she took. But, of course, she was too stubborn to ever admit such a thing.

The brunette observed her stubborn behavior, stroking her forehead lightly. "Sweetie, your eyes are drooping..." She spoke softly as she wrapped the other in a soothing embrace. "It's okay to be tired, Lilly...You've had a rough morning!" Miley hated to see her friend so weak, she wished there was something she could do to take all her pain and suffering away. Especially now that the poor girl had to deal with the loss of both her parents.

"C-can you lay with me...please?" The smaller girl's voice trembled as she peered up at her friend with sadness. As if the loss of her parents hadn't drained her enough, the treatment surely had.

Miley gently sat down beside her friend, wrapping her in a strong embrace. Hearing the weakness in the other's voice made her want to hold her as tight as she could. "Of course sweetie...I'll always be here to hold you. Whatever helps soothe you, you just tell me." She pressed her lips gently to the other's forehead, wishing that would take all Lilly's pain away.

The blonde slowly drifted to sleep as Miley's heart-beat sound soothingly into her ear. Watching her poor friend finally fall asleep, the taller girl stroked her back in soft circles as her mind was in deep thought. There had to be something she could do help her friend through the loss of her parents and the horrible side effects of her treatment... The question in her mind, though, was what was that something?

Letting out a sad sigh, Miley peered down at the blonde while pulling her close. "I promise you will get through this sweetheart... I'll make sure of that." She whispered gently into her ear as she wrapped the blanket around them. After a good twenty minutes of rubbing the other's back, she too had fallen asleep.

Saturday afternoon brought a cheerful Rose into her sister's hospital room. She was surprised to see that her parents weren't in the room and in place of their absense was Miley and her father. Confused, she turned to the bed where she saw her sister watching her with empathy.

Lilly hated that she'd have to ruin her younger sister's cheerful mood with the death of their parents...But unfortunately it had to be done. "Hey Rosie...have fun at your friends house love?" She spoke gently, motioning for the younger girl to come sit by her. As soon as she felt the mattress sink a bit, she wrapped her arms protectively around her sister.

The thin-haired brunette looked up into Lilly's blue eyes, feeling the tension in them. Rose could always figure out when something wasn't right with her sister and the look in her eyes confirmed her suspicisions. Letting out a deep sigh, she quietly spoke up. "What's the bad news, Lil?" Her voice filled with concern as she snuggled into her sister's arms. She hoped and prayed that it wasn't anything too bad...but with Lilly's awful disease anything was possible.

Pressing a gentle kiss to the top of Rose's head, Lilly took a deep breath. "I love you so much, sweetie..." She started, hoping to soothe the young child. "A few days ago, after mom and dad dropped you off at school, they were...uhm they were-they were in a really, really bad car accident..." She had to pause for a minute to catch her breath and in the process she gently pulled her sister closer. "Father d-d-d-died before-before they even made it to the hospital... A-a-and m-m-mom's b-b-b-brain d-d-d-dead..." Lilly wrapped her arms tighter around the younger girl, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead as the two of them cried softly together as they mourned the loss of their parents.

"C-c-c-can we-we-we see m-m-mommy and d-d-daddy?" Rose asked in between infuriarating sobs as she held onto her sister for dear life. How could her parents leave her when they knew one day Lilly would too? How was that fair? Thinking such thoughts caused more sobs to escape from her, squeezing the older girl in the process.

The blonde let her own sobs escape as she continued to rock her sister, stroking her back in the process. "Oh sweetie...I don't know if they'll let us... They-they probably are-are a-all scratched up and bruised from the crash... Seeing them now -m-might make you even more upset baby..."

Shaking her head, Rose stood up from her sister's arms with tears streaming down her cheeks. "You don't have to go see them, but I am." She spoke in between sobs as she made her way to the door but stopped once she got there and glanced pleadingly at her older sister. "P-please come with me...I-I can't go by myself, L-L-Lilly..."

Lilly weakly got up from her bed, walking over to the other as she wrapped her in a hug. The last thing she wanted to do was go see her parents after such an awful crash...She'd been scared that they wouldn't like same. But she knew her sister needed to see them, she needed some sort of closure. "O-okay, sweetie... We'll go see them. B-but don't be alarmed if they don't look like mom and dad... People look different when they're d-d-dead, Rosie." She held the younger girl close, hating that they had to go through this.

Tears poured from the blue eyes of Lilly Truscott as she held her mother's cold hand. _How could this be real?_ She thought as she stroked the hand that she held. This was supposed to be her lying in the bed, barely clinging to life..._not_ her mother. How fair was that? Her mother didn't deserve to die, she was too young! Why would God take both her parents when he knew she was going to die soon herself?! Why would God do that to her baby sister? She'd have no one left if Lilly were to die...

"Oh mom..." Lilly's voice trembled with tears as she pressed a gentle kiss to her mother's forehead. "Y-you don't deserve to b-b-be d-d-d-dead... I-I-I need you mom! Rosie needs you! P-please come back... If you come back I promise I'll fight harder! Please mom...I love you so much mom...I c-c-can't fight this w-w-without you. Y-y-you're my angel, momma..." Sobs escaped from her as she held onto her mother dear life as she wished by some miraculous miracle her mother would come back.

Leanne suddenly appeared in the doorway, watching her daughter cry at her bedside. She loathed seeing either of her babies cry...especially if it was because of her. Gently, she made her way over to the sobbing blonde and wrapped her arms strongly around her. "Don't cry, my sweet girl..." She soothed into Lilly's ear, pressing a kiss to her head. "Mommy's here; I've got you sweetie."

The younger blonde looked up at her with shock, her body shaking with fear. "W-what a-are you d-doing here, m-mom?" Her voice shaking as she held onto her mother as tight as she could. "P-please d-don't l-leave... I need you, mom."

"I'm here because I could sense that you needed me... I don't want you to give up, baby girl." Her voice soft, as she holds her little girl close in her arms. Nothing felt better to her than having her child in her arms. "I know you're upset about your father and mine's death, but sweetheart you need to keep fighting! You're so young, Lilly, it's not your time to die. As much as I'd love to have you up in heaven with me...now is not the time sweetie. You have your whole life ahead of you and I want you to live it. Don't just do it for me or for Rosie, do it for yourself! You deserve to live a long, happy life, baby girl." She squeezed her daughter lovingly, stroking her cheek. "I love you so much, sweet girl. I'll always be here if you need me, but you need to keep fighting. You owe that to yourself."

That evening had Lilly in the bathroom, kneeling in front of the toilet as she vomit everything she had in her up. The new chemotherapy her doctor had her on had been so strong that she wanted to give up...but she knew she couldn't do that. Though as the vomitting wouldn't let up, she felt tears well up in her eyes. She wished the side-effects would wear off because she didn't know how much longer she could take the excruciating pain.

Fortunately Miley sensed her pain as she stood behind her, holding her hair back as she rubbed soothing circles around her back. "Shhh, don't cry sweetie." Her voice gentle, sympathizing with the ill girl. "You're okay, love, you're okay." She tried soothing, feeling bad that she had to deal with so much pain. She didn't deserve to go through all the tragic events that she's had to.

Shaking her head as the vomitting continued, Lilly let out a painful shriek. "I-I c-can't d-d-do t-t-this anymore..." She felt herself start heaving for air, as her body started to shake violently.

"Honey, calm down!" Miley spoke gently as she patted the other's back, trying to get her to breathe normally. "You've gotta calm down, baby, you're making yourself hyperventilate... Come on, sweetie, breathe!" She pulled the shaking and heaving blonde into her arms, rocking her softly as she stroked soothing circles around her back. "Shhhh, shhhh... Calm down sweetheart. I've got you, baby doll."

Lilly looked up into the green eyes watching her with worry. Tears poured out of her eyes like waterfalls as she clung to her for dear life. "I h-h-have to fi-fi-fight t-t-this f-f-for m-m-my sister... B-b-b-but it's so hard Miley! It's so hard..." Her voice stuttered with infuriarating sobs as the taller girl held her tight.

Pressing her lips comfortingly to her forehead, Miley cradled her head against her chest. The pain in her friend's voice broke her heart, she wished she could take it away from her. "Oh sweetie, I know it's hard... And you're in so much pain, you don't deserve to suffer Lil. But you are so strong sweetie! You are such a strong girl, Lilly, you're going to get through this. I _know _you will! And I will be right here for you, so if you need strength to fight this, you just tell me. I will help you fight, baby girl, I promise you that. Right now I think you could use a big hug, couldn't you?" She spoke gently, laying Lilly against her chest.

The blonde sniffled quietly as she peered up into her eyes, sadly smiling through her tears. She reached for one of her hands, stroking it gently with her thumb. "Y-you're an angel, Miley...m-my angel..." Lilly spoke in a hoarse tone as she snuggled closer in her arms. "I-I'm so glad you're my friend...You have the sweetest heart in the world, Miley."

"No, Lilly, you're my angel. You are amazing, so amazing Lil. I wish you'd realize that, Lilly. Rose has said that you won't accept any compliments...she says you don't feel that you're beautiful... I don't know why you would think otherwise, sweetie, you're more beautiful than any person I've ever met. You need to see that, Lilly, because it's true." Miley held her tighter, stroking her hair softly.

Rose sat in a chair beside her sister's bed, watching her with sadness. She prayed to God that she wouldn't have to lose her sister as well, it was hard enough losing her parents. Besides, her sister deserved to live and go on with her life. She wanted that for Lilly; she wanted her be happy and healthy for once. A pair of arms wrapped softly around her, pulling her close to them. She thought it had be Lilly who was holding her but to her surprise when she looked up, she saw Miley.

The older girl smiled softly at her, stroking her hair softly. "You looked like you needed a hug, Rose." Miley soothed, as she hugged her tight. She adored how much Rose loved her older sister and felt bad that she had to watch her suffer. "I know I haven't really talked you before, but if you ever need anything you can come to me. Okay sweetie? Same with my daddy. We're here for _both_ you _and_ Lilly." She pressed a motherly kiss to the top of Rose's head as she held her close.

"I want you to take care of my sister. You mean the world to her, Miley! You're the reason she's trying so hard to fight off her disease... You've turned my sister into such a happy person and it's amazing to see her smile. Smiles from her used to be so rare... But now they're an everyday occurrence, well obviously not at the moment as we just lost our parents, but before the accident they were and it's all thanks to you!"

Miley felt a tiny smile form on her face as she stroked soft circles around the child's back. She thought it to be one of the most touching things in the world to see how much this little girl cared about her older sister. "Awww sweetie, I'll always take care of your sister. She's my best friend." Her voice gentle as she ran her hand delicately through the other's thin brown hair.

Looking up at the green eyed singer, Rose smiled softly. She wrapped her own arms around Miley in a comforting embrace. "Thank you for being her friend, Miley. She deserves a good friend for once in her life and I'm so happy that it's you. Lilly's looked up to you since I was a toddler...All I ever heard about was you and your _amazing_ music. She kept buying more and more of your posters, which drove our parents nuts, but it took her mind off her disease. I remember right after her thirteenth birthday...the doctors thought she was going to die...so my parents wanted to do something special for her. They asked her what she wanted to do and I remember hearing her mumble something about a Miley Stewart concert...She repeated it over and over until my parents finally bought the tickets...of course they weren't good seats but the look on Lilly's face when we got there was priceless! That was the best night of her life and she talked about for months afterwards...Of course what she really wanted was to meet you but she figured that would never happen...so she settled for the concert. And now that she's actually met you and the two of you have become really close friends, she couldn't be any happier!"

It'd been around ten am on Sunday morning when Doctor Smith walked into Lilly's hospital room. He glanced at the sleeping blonde that lay comfortably in the bed, letting out a deep breath. Worry filled his expression as he thought of how to ask her the question he had for her. A question he had been dreading to ask as he knew how hard it would be for her.

Mr. Stewart noticed his presence, turning around to stare at him. He seen the worried expression on the doctor's face, which caused him to grow concerned. The singer's father hope and prayed that it wasn't anything bad as he knew poor Lilly couldn't handle anymore suffering or pain. "Is there something wrong, doctor Smith?" He slowly asked, peering over at the sleeping blonde.

The doctor read over the charts in his hands, then looked up at Mr. Stewart. "I don't really know if it's bad news or good news.." He started, still not sure how to ask Lilly about it. "I've been looking over her last scan results and her kidneys aren't doing too well...She'll need a transplant in the near future...and we do have someone who could give her one. The problem is, it's her mother... As her mother isn't listed as an organ donor we need conscent from her family...but obviously her husband's gone too so we'd have to ask Lilly...and I don't know how I'll be able to ask her such a question. We're going to have to get an answer soon so we can harvest the organs but we need Lilly's conscent."

Robbie glanced over at his daughter, who'd been sitting beside Lilly's bed stroking her cheeks, and motioned for her to wake the sleeping girl up. Miley reluctantly complied, hating to wake the poor thing, gently making her way over to the bed. "Lilly, wake up sweetie." She spoke soothingly as she stroked the girl's forehead. "Come on, precious one...It's time to get up."

Groaning, Lilly opened her eyes to see her best friend standing above her and smiled sadly. "Morning, Miley." She spoke in a scratchy tone, reaching for her glass of water. She gulped it down, noticing her doctor standing in the doorway and frowned. "Now what's wrong with me?! Let me guess, the tumor's grown even more?" Anger rose in her body as she shook her head violently.

Miley pulled the upset blonde into her arms, looking her straight in the eyes. "It's okay, sweetheart...It's nothing about the tumor...calm down Lil. Remember love, I'm here to help you, whatever's wrong we'll take care of it together." She spoke gently to her distraught friend as she held her tight in her strong arms. Every word she said came straight from her heart, she would always be there to help her Lilly.

"Lilly, it's not really that bad...but you're going to need a kidney transplant. Looking through your previous scans, both kidneys are looking quite awful. We do, though, have a perfect match..." The doctor gulped, loathing what he was about to ask her. "It turns out that your mother would be a perfect donor for you. Even though she is brain dead, her organs are in perfect condition. And they would save a lot of patients...but as she is not a self-proclaimed organ donor we would need your conscent for the donation of her organs."

Lilly felt herself tense up at the thought of having to make such a decision. Fortunately the taller girl held her tight, bringing a sense of comfort and calming to her body. She then proceeded to look up at her doctor, not knowing what answer to give him. She couldn't agree to taking one of her mother's kidneys...That didn't seem right. "I-I don't know..." She sniffled as she held onto Miley. "My mom would do anything to help another person...So if you have patients you want to donate some of her organs to, then you can...B-but I-I cannot take one of my mother's kidneys! I just can't. Give them to someone who needs them."

Rose shook her head, looking at her sister with tears. "Mom would do anything for you Lilly! She would want you to have one of her kidneys!" She turned to the doctor with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Give my sister a kidney! I don't care if she doesn't want it...she _NEEDS_ it!" Glaring at Lilly with anger, she spoke up again. "If you refuse mom's kidney, than I'm giving you mine. I really don't care what you think, I'm tired of watching you suffer! You're letting yourself suffer, Lil...You don't deserve to! Why do you feel that you do?! Why Lilly?!"

Lilly shook her head, feeling tears well up in her eyes as she heard the brokenness in her younger sister's voice. She weakly walked over to Rose, pulling her into a soothing hug. As she squeezed the girl tight, she cradled her head in her hands. "Rosie, there are lot of other patients here who need mother's kidneys more than I do. I don't want to take something that could save their lives away from them!" She tenderly stroked the child's cheek. "Sweetie, there is no way you are giving me a kidney. I'm fine, Rosie, I promise."

Miley held Lilly's hand softly in hers, stroking it delicately. Seeing her look so frail and weak broke her heart. "You're going to be okay, sweetie. You're a tough little angel..." Her voice gently as she pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Don't be scared, precious, you'll get through this." She noticed the tears dripping down Lilly's cheek and softly wiped them away with her thumb.

The blonde propped herself up so she was looking straight into the other's eyes. Reaching for her hand, she stroked it comfortingly. "I have to be okay. My sister needs me... And I can't leave my best friend.." A sad smile formed as she weakly wrapped her arms around her favorite singer. "I love you, Miles... You mean so much to me." Her voice cracking as she let tears fall from her eyes.

"Oh sweetie...I love you too, so much." Miley cradled the tearful blonde in her arms, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek. "I know you're going to be okay, Lilly. You're a strong, strong girl..." She smiled reassuringly at the girl in her arms, stroking both her cheeks lovingly. "I love you so much, Lil. You're my precious, precious friend. I'll be right here waiting for you after it's over. I promise, babe."

About fifteen minutes later, a nurse came in with some medicine and a friendly smile on her face. "Good morning, Lilly. It's time to head down." She walked over to her bedside, handing her the little cup of medicine. "Drink this, it'll help calm your nerves."

The singer stood by Lilly's side, watching the tears well up in her blue eyes. "Awwww baby girl, you're gonna be okay! Don't cry, pretty girl. You'll be fine, Lilly. Don't worry... Shhhhh." She pressed a comforting kiss to each of her cheeks, running a hand through her little bit of hair. "Shhhh, shhhh. It's all gonna be okay, sweetie. Your momma's watching over you and she won't let anything happen to you. And when it's all over, you'll back in your room. You're a strong little thing, Lil." She wrapped her arms around her, squeezing her lovingly. "Have a good nap, sweetheart. I'll see you in a few hours. I love you so much, baby girl."


	8. Chapter Eight

_I thought I'd try to update this quickly as I'll be going on vacation next Saturday and won't have time to work on it. Please read and review, I love to hear what people think of my stories! And I hope to have the next chapter written soon...although I doubt it'll be up until after I come back from vacation. We'll see. Hope everyone likes this chapter._

Chapter Eight

As Lilly lay unconscious in the operating room for the next several hours, her sister and the Stewarts sat restlessly in her hospital room. Rose tried to shut her eyes to rest for a bit, but everytime she did the sight of her late parents came into her view. She shuddered at the memory because they hadn't looked anything like themselves...They were covered in bruises, scratches, and appeared lifeless. The sight haunted her everytime she attempted to sleep.

Watching Rose struggle to rest, Miley decided to go sit with her. She motioned for the other to come sit beside her and as she had Miley wrapped her arms gently around her. "Want to talk about what's bothering you?" She asked in a soft voice, stroking comforting circles around the young child's back.

As she glanced up into the concerned green eyes peering into hers, Rose shook her head with a sad smile. She didn't see the need to talk about her problems, especially since she knew it would only make her feel worse. "I want to talk to you about Lilly..." She uttered quietly while staring straight ahead. "The only reason she went through with the kidney transplant is because of you. You're making her want to actually fight her disease, and that is the kindest thing anyone's ever done for her." A grateful smile spread accross Rose's cheeks.

Miley smiled softly at her, holding her close as she ran her hand gently through the other's hair. "Your sister means a lot to me, I want to help her fight her disease. And part of the reason she's fighting is for you, Rose. She doesn't want to leave you, not after your parents' accident. Lilly loves you more than anything sweetie." Her voice soothed while she hugged her friend's sister tight.

"Yeah, I know that...but honestly if she hadn't met you I can _guarantee _she would have given up a long time ago." Rose let out a deep sigh before continuing. "I can't tell you how many times Lilly's wanted to give up...and it's not because she was tired of the pain and suffering...she was tired of people making fun of her at school or out in public... She tried to kill herself when she was fourteen... She had come from school and wouldn't talk to anyone, mom tried to find out what was bothering her...but Lilly locked herself in the bathroom. When my mom finally got the door open...Lilly was laying on the floor bleeding to death. She slashed herself in the throat with a knife! It took the doctors a good seven hours to get her to stop bleeding..." Tears fell from her eyes as the terrible memory sit in her mind. "Don't ever leave my sister, Miley... She needs you! You're the only person who can stop her from giving up and if you ever decided to stop being her friend...I wouldn't have a sister anymore!"

Hearing such an awful story about what her best friend tried to do to herself, Miley held Rose tight in her arms while letting her own tears fall from her eyes. "I will never, ever leave your sister...She's my best friend and means everything to me sweetie. I'll always be here for her, I promise you that." She spoke gently, pressing a kiss to the top of the younger girl's head.

Weeks passed as Lilly recovered from her kidney transplant and it was nearing time for the Stewarts' annual holiday visit to Tennessee. Surprisingly, doctor Smith thought the blonde to be doing quite well allowing her to go with them on their trip. He came into her room on the morning of December Fifteenth with her discharge papers in hand and, of course, a wheelchair.

The blonde had been sitting in a chair near her bed as Miley stroked her back in soft circles. When she heard the screetch of the wheelchair, she glanced up at with horror. She still hated being forced into a wheelchair even though this time it'd be taking her to the car so that she could finally get away from the hospital.

"Lilly, come on sweetie...it's not that bad." The brunette spoke soothingly to her as she stood her up and helped her into the wheelchair. "At least you're getting out of the hospital...and you get to come with daddy and I on a nice little vacation." She pressed a loving kiss to the top of her head as they started heading down to the parking garage.

While Miley and Lilly were too busy conversing about the trip, doctor Smith stepped aside to have a word with Mr. Stewart. "I want you take that wheelchair with you, because Lilly will need it. She's going to need some oxygen to help her breathe better... We did some tests on her yesterday to make sure she's good to go on this trip, and her oxygen is low. So you're going to need to bring this oxygen tank with you and have her use it during the night...and especially on the plane ride." He said in a serious tone, handing him the tank.

Robbie nodded coherently as he took a hand of the tank, catching up to the three girls. As they finally made it to the car, Miley gently scooped Lilly up while helping her into the car. Before sitting down beside her, she turned to her father and gestured towards the tank in his hand. "What's that?" She asked quietly, hoping her friend wouldn't hear them.

Letting out a quiet sigh, her father looked up into her concerned green eyes. "It's an oxygen tank... The doctor said she'll need to use it at night and while we're on the plane." He said as he placed it in the trunk of the car, along with the wheelchair. "We'll talk about it more later once we get Lilly home and settled in. Okay, bud?" He pulled his daughter into a loving hug while pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Miley released her father then got in the car beside Lilly, placing the girl so that she was resting against her lap. "Close your eyes sweetie... You need to rest for a bit." She kept her voice low and soft as she stroked her forehead tenderly. "When we get home, you can take a nice shower and daddy will make a wonderful homecooked meal for all of us."

The brunette waited patiently in her room for Lilly to finish her shower and to help pass the time she felt the urge to write a song. She got some paper and a pen, sat down at her desk, then started to write. She continued writing for the next several minutes, not even noticing that Lilly had entered the room...until she heard a loud banging sound.

Miley quickly turned around from her desk to see Lilly lying on her floor in obvious pain. She rushed over to her side, gently scooping her into her arms. "Awww sweetie... What happened?" The singer asked in a soothing voice, rocking her softly. After a few minutes of calming her down, she gently laid the blonde onto her bed while sitting herself beside her. "Feel better, angel?"

Sniffling, Lilly nodded her head while looking up into her friend's eyes. "I'm okay, Miley." She spoke, her voice hoarse, as she looked away in embarassment. She hated how clumsy she'd been and it always happened at the worst times.

"Wanna lay down for a bit, sweetie?" Miley took a hold of one of Lilly's hands, stroking it tenderly with her thumb. She gazed warmly into the other's blue eyes. She could see the refusal in them and smiled sadly at her. "How about we go for a walk? It's nice out and some fresh air will do us some good."

A tiny smile appeared on the other's face as she heard the option of going on a walk. She couldn't even remember the last time she went outside to take a walk. "I'd love to go for a walk...I can't even remember the last time I went on one." She spoke, happily sitting up as she'd been about to head down the stairs.

Pulling Lilly into her arms, Miley peered into the blue eyes with compassion. As happy as she was to see the other girl thrilled about going on a walk, she had to make sure Lilly knew not to walk too much and cause herself to pass out. "Hold on just a minute sweetie. I'm happy to see how excited you are to go on a walk...but I don't want you walking too fast, okay honey? You're still a bit weak, you need to preserve your energy."

With a sad sigh, the blonde nodded her head in agreement while following her friend down the stairs. She noticed her younger sister had been sitting on the couch focusing her attention on the television screen in front of her. She felt relieved to see that Rose had been settling in okay.

Mr. Stewart turned to face them, motioning for them to come into the kitchen. He figured now would be the perfect time to talk to both girls about Lilly's temporary oxygen tank. "Now, before ya'll go runnin' off...we need to talk." Robbie started as he placed the oxygen in front of the two teenagers. Miley had already aquainted herself with the device so it didn't startle her as it had Lilly, who looked at it with horror.

The blonde stared at it with anguish, then focused her eyes up at Mr. Stewart. "What is that thing?" She asked with uncertainity, hoping it wasn't something else she had to use to make her feel even worse about living. The last thing she needed or wanted was another reminder of her horrific disease.

"This is your oxygen tank, Lilly. Your doctor wants you to use it while we're on the plane and during the night." Hearing Miley's father say that, Lilly felt tears well up in her eyes. She glared at it while shaking her head furiously. There was no way in hell she'd be caught dead using that thing!

Lilly angrily ran out of the house, not wanting to stare at her oxygen tank any longer. Of course this caused Miley and her father to grow concerned. The brunette let out a sad sigh, loathing to see her friend upset; and as she had been about to head outside after her when Rose walked over to them, blocking the doorway.

The younger child looked up at both adults with sincerity in her eyes. "Leave her alone for a bit...She needs time to think...on her own." She spoke gently, noticing the apprehension in Miley's expression. "She'll be okay, Miley." Rose smiled sadly as she prayed that her older sister wouldn't do anything she'd regret.

Having no clue as to where she planned to walk to, Lilly stood at the end of the Stewart's driveway while listening to the peaceful sound of birds' chirping. She always loved to hear the birds singing, it really helped to calm her stress and now she felt herself being mesmerized by it as she started walking along the sidewalk. The blonde tried to keep her thoughts on the beauty of the scenery as she hadn't want to bring herself down with what Mr. Stewart had told her.

She continued her journey on the side of the street just enjoying the wonderful weather when she noticed a dog running down the middle of the road. And then she seen a car come flying after it, almost about to hit the dog... Along with that she heard the sound of a young child's screaming, obviously the owner of the pet. So taking a deep breath Lilly decided to go after the dog and hopefully save it.

The blonde quickly ran to where the dog stood, scooped it into her arms, and ran to the side of the road watching the car speed down the street. She failed to notice the angry driver lifting his middle finger up at her while yelling foul remarks. Even if she had heard them, it wouldn't have bothered as all that mattered was that she saved a child's beloved pet.

Lilly felt the dog lick her face and smiled at it. "You're a cute little fellow..." She spoke gently, stroking it's fur tenderly. "Where's your family?" As if on que, a little boy came runinng over to them with tears of joy in his eyes. He peered up at the woman holding his dog and a huge smile plastered on his face.

"You saved my puppy!" The little boy exclaimed as he reached for the cheerful bundle of fur in Lilly's arms. He smiled as he squeezed the dog tight, then looked up at the blonde with a grateful smile. "You're a hero...Thank you for saving him." He happily held his puppy, running up the street with him.

Watching the boy leave, Lilly smiled to herself. It felt good to be the one saving someone instead of being the one who needed the saving. She decided she'd head back to the house after the ordeal she had just gone through, a cheerful smile on her face. Walking down the sidewalk, the girl hadn't even noticed that the car that sped by earlier was following her.

She finally reached the front of the Stewarts' house, making her way up the porch stairs. Little did she know someone had been following her. Once the blonde reached the door she felt someone's breath on her which caused her to turn around. When she did, she came face to face with a man who looked almost exactly like Mr. Stewart, but a younger version. "W-who are you?" Her voice trembling with a bit of fear.

The young man glanced her over, shaking his head disapprovingly. "So you're the friend my sister's decided to quit her job over..." He let out a cold laugh while pushing her aside as he made his way to the door. "You're disgusting, you should be ashamed of yourself. All the heart-broken fans out there...and it's all your fault...Lilly!" His speech started to slurr and the frightened girl could smell alcohol in his breath.

Instead of heading in the house, Jackson decided he'd stay outside and torture his sister's friend a little more. He roughly pushed the shaking girl to the ground, standing over her as he smiled bitterly down at her. "I was going to beg my father and sister for money...but I think I could get better drugs from you... After all, you _are _terminally ill so you must be on some pretty strong drugs! Ain't that right?" He smirked, holding her down by the shoulders.

Lilly's body shook violently underneath his rough touch, she could barely find her voice with all the fear she felt. "M-m-my p-p-pills are in t-t-the h-house..." Her voice shook with sobs as she tried to get out from under his touch. The dark blonde man shook his head, slapping her across the face. He forced her to stand up and was ready to force her into his car when the door swung open.

Miley gasped at what she saw, the fear in her best friend's eyes made her want to beat the living daylights out of her brother. "Get the hell off my Lilly, Jackson!" She hissed, pushing him off the frightened girl and scooping her into her arms. "What the hell is your problem?! Lilly's the most precious girl in the world, and you just scared the shit out of her! Get the hell away from us!" Anger rose in her body as she held her friend close to her chest, hoping to stop the girl's uncontrollable shaking. "Shhh, I've got you baby girl. I won't let him hurt you." She whispered softly to Lilly as she rocked her comfortingly.

Hearing all the ruckus outside his house Robbie thought he'd better go see what it was...And he was glad he chose to do so as he looked into the drunkin' eyes of his son. "Leave Jackson...You better leave right now!" His voice grew angrier as he glared towards the young man. "You have no right to be here or to ever put your hands on Lilly! So you had better leave or I will call the police."

Miley gently carried the shaking blonde upstairs to her room, carefully laying her on the bed. "Did he hurt you at all, baby?" She asked in a soothing voice while sitting down beside her. She felt Lilly immediately crawl onto her lap, causing her to wrap her arms protectively around her. "Awww honey, it's okay! You're safe now, Lil." She soothed, pressing her lips softly atop the smaller girl's head.

The blonde looked up into the soft green eyes peering into hers with sympathy and concern. "I-I saved a little boy's puppy...S" She whispered, tears falling from her eyes. "Your brother was speeding down the road and the dog was right in front... So I ran to him and moved him out of the way just in time."

"You went onto the middle of the street while my drunken brother was speeding down it?! You could have gotten killed sweetheart..." She kept her voice soft as she stared empathetically into the blue eyes of her best friend.

Shaking her head, Lilly looked down with tears in her eyes. She didn't care that she could have gotten killed, in fact; she would have been happy to die...but all that mattered was that she saved a little boy's dog. "I needed to save the dog... If I didn't try to save him...I wouldn't be able to live with myself if he had died! The cries of the little boy were so depressing."

Sighing, the singer pulled Lilly closer to her while pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. "You're an angel, Lil." She spoke in a soothing tone, thankful that the girl had been able to save the dog without getting hurt herself. "But don't ever, ever run into the middle of the street when a car's flying down it again! I don't want you gettin' hurt, sweetie. Especially if you see my brother driving! He's an asshole...he needs to have his driver's liscense revoked." She held the other close, touched to have such a sweet friend. The thought of Lilly's putting her life in danager just to save a dog made her heart melt. She couldn't think of anyone who would be able to do such a thing.

Coming out of her thoughts, Miley felt tears drip onto her chest as she gazed down at the blonde with sympathy. She stroked her back in gentle circles, wrapping the blankets around them. "Don't cry, baby girl..." The brunette soothed as she held her securely in her arms. "You're a sweetheart, Lilly. You saved a dog at the risk of losing your life...You are a true angel! And the sweetest thing in the whole world." She softly wiped the blonde's tears with her thumb.

"I-I r-r-r-ruined y-y-y-your c-c-c-c-career..." Lilly sobbed, remembering the evil things Miley's brother had said to her. Her body shook violently as her mind went insane with all the thoughts running through it.

Hearing such a statement come out of the smaller girl's mouth, Miley felt her own tears come pouring out. How could her friend ever think that she ruined her career? She held her tight while laying Lilly's head lovingly onto her chest. "No, no, no, no baby... How could you think such a thing? Sweetie, I _chose_ to quit my singing career! You're my best friend, Lilly, I need to be here for you and had I not quit my job...I wouldn't have time to help you through this. Don't you ever think that it's your fault! Helping and comforting you is way more important to me than any concert or interview would ever be...okay sweetie?" She peered down into the sad blue eyes with pure love while pressing a comforting kiss to her forehead.

Sunday morning had the four of them running around the house, making sure they had everything packed and ready to go. It had finally been the day they'd be heading down to Tennessee for the holidays. Miley smiled softly, she had been waiting all year for this trip. She absolutely _loved_ going back to her hometown, especially because she'd see all her mother's relatives who had told the best stories about her. Seeing her beautiful horse had also been a reason she couldn't wait to go back. She loved horses; had she not wanted to be a singer, she'd have chosen to own her own horse stables.

Her smile faded when she saw the sadness in Lilly's eyes. "What's the matter, baby doll?" She asked gently, wrapping the blonde in a loving embrace. The shorter girl didn't answer, only squeezing Miley tighter. And that's when it hit her...Lilly was upset that her parents weren't there to join them. "Awww Lil... It's gonna be okay! I know you wish your parents were here to come with us, I wish they were as well...My dad would haved loved to introduce them to all our relatives. I'm so sorry, sweetie!"

A few minutes later, Robbie was herding the four of them into the car while putting their suitcases into the trunk. He sat himself in the driver's seat while Miley and Lilly sat in the back seat together; Rose sat up front with Mr. Stewart. She stared over at him, watching as he turned the key to start the ignition. Everything he did or said reminded her of her own father. A tiny smile formed on her face as she realized that it hadn't been as bad as she thought to stay with the Stewart family.

"Ever rode horse before, Rose?" The southern father asked as he pulled out of the driveway, venturing down the street. He glanced over at the young child who responded to his question with the shake of her head. "Well you'll definitely be ridin' some horses in Tennessee. We got plenty of em'! I'll have my niece, Luanne, teach you. She's a great horseback rider; she's always won first place in any jumping competition she's entered. The only person who can beat her in a competition is my lil' Miley Ray." He smiled proudly as he looked at his daughter through the rearview mirror. He couldn't wait to get back to his hometown.

As they walked through the airport to get to their terminal, people crowded around them hoping to get an autograph from the young singer. She tried to quickly sign as many as she could but the people just kept coming. Miley noticed a few of her fans trying to push Lilly around; she could hear them calling her names and speaking so rudely to her. That caused her face to turn red with anger as she stopped what she was doing and marched furiously over to them.

The two fans who had been bothering Lilly looked only about nine or ten, wearing shirts with Miley's face on them. When they noticed the singer staring at them with anger, the shorter girl her face up as fake tears fell from her eyes. "It's not fair that this girl gets to be your friend and hang out with you everyday! I'm you're biggest fan in the whole universe and plus I'm better than this ... this ugly freak! Why would you want to be seen in public with her?" The little girl pointed at Lilly as if she were some worthless piece of dirt.

Lilly looked down with tears streaming down her cheeks and was about to run away from them when the brunette pulled her into her arms, shielding her from all the horrible people that laughed or made fun of her. "Don't be ashamed of yourself, Lilly. You're beautiful, sweetie... These people who think that they're better than you are only lying to themselves. You're a gorgeous, gorgeous young woman, and I am more than happy to call you my best friend. Please don't listen to a word these cruel people say to you, baby girl... None of it's true." She held the distraught girl close to her chest, stroking her back in comforting circles. She then looked up at all the astonished and disgusted fans with rage in her eyes. "None of you have _any_ right to call yourselves a 'Miley fan' if you're going to treat my precious Lilly the way ya'll just did. She's a human being with feelings and she's been fighting her whole life with a horrible, horrible disease... And seeing how it hurts her when people taunt her just because she doesn't have hair sickens me! All of you sicken me! If ya'll can't accept someone because they look different than you all oughta be ashamed of yourselves. And don't _any_ of you _ever_, _ever_ say anything to upset my sweet Lilly again or I will **never** return to my singing career." She spoke to them with venom in her voice, then she hurriedly left with her sobbing best friend in her arms.

"Calm down, my sweet Lilly." Miley soothed as she took them to the bathroom, locking the two of them in the biggest stall so she could try to calm the blonde down. "You're okay now sweetheart, I'm right here." She looked softly into her eyes, caressing her cheek with the tip of her fingers. "You have not a single reason to ever be ashamed of yourself...don't ever feel that way, baby. And if you ever do feel that way, you come talk to me. Do you understand, angel?" She pressed a loving kiss to the top of her head as she rocked them softly. "We're going to go find the terminal and when we do, I want you to sit on my lap and rest. You look exhausted sweetie..."

Finally waiting in the terminal, the singer sat with her friend resting in her arms. She soothingly ran her hand down Lilly's back, hoping it'd help her fall asleep. "Shhh, it's okay to sleep, Lil. You need to sweetie, you're tired." The brunette cradled her softly, pressing a comforting kiss to her head. "I won't let you walk unless you have a little nap. We have a while before our flight, anyway, so please get some rest, angel."

Lilly snuggled into her arms, drifting to sleep from the sound of Miley's soothing heart-beat. The taller girl smiled softly at the sleeping girl, stroking her cheek gently. She then pulled a blanket out of her bag and wrapped it around the two of them. "Sleep well my sweet angel." She whispered lovingly into the other's ear as she held her close.

Robbie watched her in astonishment, he'd never seen her care about someone so deeply. "You carry blankets in your purse, bud?" He asked, still surprised to see how much she cared about Lilly. He knew she cared about her, but the way she talked to the girl and how close she held her seemed to be a bit different...The way he had been with his late wife. And that's when he realized something...His little girl was in love with Lilly. A small smile made it's way onto his face while he continued to watch the two.

Miley looked up at her dad with a loving smile, rubbing the sleeping girl's back in a circular motion. "Lilly gets cold easily, so I thought I'd bring a blanket with me. Besides it helps her sleep better when she's wrapped in a blanket." She spoke gently, trying not to wake the sleeping blonde.

Mr. Stewart only smiled, knowing the real reason why Lilly was able to sleep so peacefully had been because of Miley's holding her. He knew the two had a special bond the minute he saw them together for the first time...but had never figured out why until now. Both girls' had been in love with each other, although neither one had realized that yet. He continued to smile and couldn't wait for the girls to realize their feelings for each other because he knew they'd make one another happy.


	9. Chapter Nine

_I made Robbie's mother's name different then what everyone else uses because I don't like to be the same...lol. I think Robin's a good name for his mother. Also I decided I'd let Luanne be a nice cousin for once...seeing as I already caused poor Lilly enough terrible things to deal with! I'm sure there might be a few people in Miley's family who won't be so nice to Lilly, so at least she won't have to be bothered by an evil cousin. I'll try to have the next chapter written and updated soon but no promises. I'll be busy working on things for my sister's graduation party. Please, please, please keep reading and reviewing this story! I promise I **will** finish it. And I really appreciate all the people who have been reading this story, it really makes me happy to see how many views it's been getting. :) Thank you!_

Chapter Nine

As they finally boarded the plane, people gave looks of sympathy and pity towards them. Most of the looks were given to Miley and Mr. Stewart as they had to deal with the sick girl. Robbie slowly wheeled Lilly down the ramp to the entrance of the plane as the two other girls' followed behind him. The brunette watched as her friend kept her head down during the ordeal and sighed. It pained her to know that the other felt ashamed of herself.

Miley gently scooped Lilly out of the wheelchair, carefully carrying her to their seats. "You're beautiful, Lilly..." She whispered soothingly into the blonde's ear. She finally found where they'd be sitting and slowly placed the smaller girl into the chair closest the window while claiming the seat next to her as her own. "Please don't be ashamed of yourself, sweetie! You have no reason to be..." Her voice filled with sympathy as she cradled Lilly's head onto her lap.

The blonde looked tearfully into her friend's eyes, astonished at how amazing the girl was. It surprised her that Miley hadn't felt embarrassed by her...because she knew she would be. "Y-you're the best friend anyone could ask for... I-I'm sorry y-y-you're s-s-stuck with me as a friend..." Lilly's voice trembled as tears poured down from her eyes.

"Lilly! Don't talk like that sweetie! I love having you as my friend, you're the sweetest person in the world. Please don't ever feel that I'm ashamed of you because I'm not. You are so precious, Lil, you mean a lot to me sweetheart." The singer spoke lovingly to her as she wrapped her arms comfortingly around her. "I love you so much, baby girl, you're my best friend and always will be. Don't ever, ever listen to what other people say to you. You're absolutely beautiful, sweetie!" She pressed her lips soothingly over the blonde's forehead, stroking her back in soft circles.

Arriving at the Nashville International airport a good five hours later, the three adults and one child quickly walked off the plane down towars baggage claim. Lilly could hear everyone they passed had been speaking with a southern accent, something foreign to her as she'd never been to the south before. Continuing to the baggage claim area, Mr. Stewart noticed his mother waiting for them and smiled. It sure felt nice to be back in his home state.

Robin Stewart watched happily as her son and granddaughter made their way over to her. She loved when they had come to see her, especially since it was pretty lonely in her house. Sure she did have her other grandchild living with her...but aside from that the house seemed very empty.

Wrapping her arms around the both of them, she let tears of joy fall from her eyes. "My, my Miley! You sure have grown up these past couple o' years, haven't ya?" The older woman spoke, her southern accent clearly evident while she squeezed the singer lovingly. "And who are these two young ladies with you?" She questioned as she looked over towards Lilly and Rose. The sight of how pale Lilly appeared had been very alarming to Mrs. Stewart.

The brunette smiled lovingly up at her grandmother, beyond happy to be back home with her. She wrapped her arms tight around the other while resting her head on her shoulder. "You look great, Mamaw! It's so good to be back here." Her voice full of passion and cheerfulness. Then she glanced over to her friend and sister with a soft smile. "That's Lilly, my really good friend and her younger sister Rose. Daddy and I thought we'd invite them to Tenessee with us. I hope you don't mind, Mamaw..."

"Oh, darlin', of course I don't mind! The more the marrier. Now let's get ya'll your suitcases and head on down to the farm." Robin pressed a loving kiss to the top of Miley's head before the five of them walked down to the luggage area.

Lilly peered up at the house with awe, she had never seen such a beautiful piece of architecture. It looked like it could fit a family of forty inside but with the amount relatives Miley probably had it worked out perfectly. Too into the beauty of the house before her, she failed to notice a soft tap on her shoulder until she felt herself being lifted from the ground.

Miley smiled softly at her as she carried her into the house, placing her onto a couch that sat near a huge fireplace. "You were standing out there for a while, sweetie. Somethin' on your mind?" She sat down beside her, pulling her into a loving embrace. She then proceeded to wrap one of the wool blankets' lying over the sofa around them.

The smaller girl shook her head with a smile as she stared at the beautiful fireplace. She had only been in one room and already she knew she'd love it here. Lilly focused her eyes up at the greens watching hers, letting out a contentful sigh. "Oh no...I'm just in awe I guess you could say...It's so beautiful here! I mean this house looks like it could fit a family of fifty in it. I've never seen such a huge house before."

"Awww, I have to agree with you on that... That's why I love comin' down here at least once a year." Miley spoke soothingly as she placed her friend's head softly onto her chest. She caressed the shorter girl's cheeks with the tip of her thumb, smiling cheerfully at her. "It is pretty big...Mamaw loves to have family stay with her, especially during the holidays. By next week, this house will be crowded with relatives. And some animals too... She doesn't really mind letting people bring their pets with them as long as they clean up after them."

As the two friends' continued their conversation about the house and relatives, Rose sat in the kitchen listening to the two adults argue over what would be made for dinner that evening. Watching them argue reminded her of her parents, they could never agree on the same thing when it came to what it was they'd have for dinner. She felt a few tears roll down her cheeks, quickly wiping them away, but unfortunately they hadn't gone unnoticed.

Robin set the pot she'd been holding down while making her way over to the tearful child. She pulled a chair out beside her, taking a seat and looked over towards the other with concern. "Everything all right, darlin'?" The southern grandmother asked as she grabbed a hold of the child's hand, stroking it with her thumb. "Are you homesick? I know it's probably new to you being out in the middle of no where...but I promise you'll love it out here. We've got all kinds of animals...by the end of your trip, you'll be a pro at horseback riding!" She smiled softly when she got a small laugh out of the girl. "How about I make you a cup of tea? Does that sound good?" Getting a nod in response, Mrs. Stewart happily went over to the counter.

Filling the kettle up with hot water, Robin looked out to the living room where her granddaughter and Lilly sat. She could tell something hadn't been quite with the young girl...but didn't feel right asking about her. Fortunately though her son noticed the concern she had for his daughter's friend so he walked over to her and decided to talk to her about it.

He got three mugs out from the covert, placing them on the counter then looked over at his mother. "She has luekemia...Lilly does, I mean. She's had it for most of her life and will eventually die from it..." He started as he poured himself a cup of tea. "She's always been a big fan of our little Miley, and because of how sick she was..._is_... Her parents spoke with the 'make-a-wish' foundation to see if there was any chance that she could meet Miley. Of course, Mile agreed to it and now they're both very close. You know, I actually think Lilly's bringin' some cheerfulness into Mile's life too. It's good to see my little girl so happy and I'm glad she's able to make Lilly happy as well. The poor girl deserves something to be happy about for once."

That evening had the two friends venturing around outside until they came across the horse stables. A smile appeared on Miley's face as she led them into the barn. The closer they walked into the room, the more they could see and to the brunette's surprise she saw her nearly identical twin cousin brushing her horse. She walked over to the stall, getting a closer look and smiled. "Good to see ya, Lu!" The other fell backwards at the sound of her voice, she hadn't realize anyone else had been in there.

Luanne set the brush aside before letting herself out of the stall and over to where her cousin stood. She smiled softly at her while pulling her into a tight hug. "What a surprise, Miles! I wasn't expecting to see you this year... Uncle Robbie called Mamaw a couple months ago saying the two of you might not be coming, it sounds like you're doing really well with your career." It had been a good while since she'd seen her cousin last so she was very happy to see that things worked out in such a positive way.

"Well I decided I wanted to take a break from singing... For a good, long time. I've missed it down here, so much. It's amazing to be home!" Miley smiled, returning her cousin's hug and then pulling the silent Lilly over to them. "This is my best friend Lilly. She and her sister will be joining us this year. They're both very sweet." She looked down at the blonde who only backed up a bit. "Oh Lil, don't be shy. Luanne's a kind person, she's not gonna hurt ya. Come here, sweetie..." The fearful look on Lilly's face broke the taller girl's heart, she realized her friend had still been very self-concious about how she looked.

Miley glanced over at her cousin apologetically, wrapping her arms softly around her friend. "Lu, Lilly's worried that you're going to think badly of her because of how she looks...and she has good reason to feel that way... Poor thing's suffering with cancer so she doesn't have much hair right now. That doesn't matter to you, does it?" She stroked the small girl's cheek lovingly, holding her close in her arms.

The other girl felt sympathy build in her mind as she peered over towards them. The last thing she would do is ever make someone feel bad about themselves...she knew how that felt and she didn't want anyone to ever have to feel that way. "Aww, no, that doesn't mattter..." She glanced down at Lilly with a sad smile. "Don't be afraid to talk to me, Lilly. I would never want to hurt you, no one in our family will make you feel bad. And if anyone does, you tell Miley. She'll teach em' a lesson." A tiny smile formed on the other's face causing Luanne to smile back. "Is it all right if I give you a hug, Lilly? And you better get used to people asking you that because we all love to hug!" With a small nod as her reply, Luanne gently wrapped her arms around the shorter girl.

After both girls got aquainted, Miley thought it'd be nice to go for a ride on the horses. She missed riding as that had been something she really enjoyed; it also relieved all her stress. Gently giding her horse from the stall, she smiled up at him while pressing a soft kiss to his nose. "You look great, buddy." She cooed as she pat his head lovingly. Carefully and gently Miley brought him over to where the other two stood, glancing at Lilly with a smile. "This is my beautiful boy, Blue Jeans. He's such a sweetheart, so go ahead and pet him. I promise he won't hurt you, Lilly sweetie."

Lilly looked nervously up towards the horse who only stared back at her. She slowy, cautiously, walked towards him as she lifted her hand to pet his nose. The horse rubbed his head against her hand, enjoying the gentle touch she offered. A small smile made it's way on the blonde's face as she continued stroking her friend's horse. This had been the first time she ever touched a horse...sure, she'd seen them before but never up close and personal. "He really is beautiful..." She spoke in a hushed tone while wrapping her arms gently around the horses' neck.

"Awww, how precious you look with him..." Miley cooed, pressing a loving kiss to both their heads. "Would you like to go for a ride on him, sweetie? He's very careful, believe me." She saw the fear in her friend's eyes which caused her to pull her into a tight embrace. "Don't be scared, honey, riding horses is very fun and safe. I promise. Besides if he starts acting up, we have Luanne to put him back in line."

The blonde still seemed apprehensive, fearing that she'd fall right off him. She hoped they weren't planning on making her ride him by herself...she had no idea how to ride a horse. This would be her first time ever riding one and thinking about not knowing what to do really frightened her. "B-by m-myself?" She gulped, looking at Blue Jeans with anguish.

Hearing that her friend thought she'd ride him alone made the singer laugh a bit. No one ever rode a horse their first time alone...at least not in her family. She caressed Lilly's cheeks softly, peering into her eyes with compassion. "Oh Lilly, you're not riding him alone... Honestly there's no way in hell I'd let you ride any horse on your own. First of all you never ridden one before and second you're not in the healthiest condition, sweetheart. Fortunately Blue Jean's a big boy so he can fit three people. Lu will direct him cause' she's really good at that and I'll keep you from going insane. Sound good sweetie?" Miley smiled happily when she saw her friend's head nod, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

While Luanne was busy taking control of the horses' direction, Miley had to keep her arms wrapped tightly around her friend to keep her from falling. Out of the all people she's seen ride a horse for the first time Lilly'd been, by far, the most frightened. The taller girl gently laid her head against' the blonde's as she pressed a soft kiss to it. "I'm not gonna let you fall, babe...I'll hold you as tight as you want. You're okay, Lilly, he's not going to hurt you. Please don't be scared sweetie." She soothed lovingly into her ear, stroking gentle circles on her back and head. "Lay your head against me and close your eyes. Don't worry about anything, just relax precious. I've got you and I won't let anything bad happen."

Lilly slowly leaned back so that her head rested on the taller girl's chest and closed her eyes as she tried to enjoy the ride. It felt pretty good to let her mind clear from all thoughts, the breeze from the horse's galloping helped a bit as well. Soon enough a smile spread across her face as she felt a lot more comfortable with riding her friend's horse. "T-this is kind of nice..." She spoke softly, grabbing a hold of one of Miley's hands as she felt Blue Jean's jumping over some logs.

The singer grinned ecstatically at hearing how her friend had been warming up to the ride. "You're doing really well, sweetie." She pulled the girl closer to her while pressing a loving kiss to her forehead. "Don't worry about his jumping, Luanne's got him trained perfectly. She's very good with all the horses. So any horse we ride will be very careful." That was true; her cousin started training their horses at a very young age and now she worked at their Mamaw's brother's horse stable as a professional horse trainer.

The sun started to make it's way down the horizon as the Stewart family sat down for a late dinner. Robin ended up making a pot-roast as she knew everyone always enjoyed it. She finished setting the table before calling everyone into the dining room. Once everyone had been seated, she put her hands together in prayer while the others did the same. After finishing the prayer she glance around the table with a cheerful smile. "I'm so happy to have ya'll here with me." She said softly, peering over at Miley. "I hear you're taking a break from singin'. Is that true, darlin'?"

News about the popsensation surely traveled fast, especially in such a small town. The brunette poked her eyes over at her grandmother then down towards her friend. A soft smile spread on her face as she nodded her head. "Yes, that's true Mamaw. I want to be here for my sweet Lilly and the only way I can do that is to take a break from my career. Which honestly doesn't bother me, I've been wanting to take a break for a while now I just didn't know how to break it to my fans...but now I have a very good reason." She pressed a loving kiss to the top of Lilly's head, knowing the girl still felt it was her fault for the break she'd been taking.

"Wow, Miles, that's very sweet of you...Taking a break from your career to look after your friend. What a great friend you are." The red-headed grandmother smiled over at Miley, blessed to have such a kind grandchild. She then glanced over at Lilly who looked about ready to cry, patting her hand softly. "Don't cry, honey... You deserve something to be happy about it and lucky for you, you've got Miles to do that."

Miley smiled sadly at her grandmother before wrapping her arms protectively around her friend. She looked down at her with sympathy in her eyes while lightly stroking her cheek with her thumb. "Lil, don't feel bad...Please sweetie. I _want_ to take a break, I _want_ to take care of you." She whispered softly to the blonde who already had tears rolling down her cheeks. "How about we go rest once we finish eating? You look exhausted, honey." The brunette pressed a soft kiss onto Lilly's head before they started in on their dinner.

Robbie watched the two with a smile, then peered over at his niece who he noticed hadn't really said much...at least not in his presence. "How've you been, Luanne?" He asked as the young woman took a bite of her food. Back when they lived down here, he treated Luanne as if she were his own daughter...since most of the time it had been hard to tell she and Miley apart. It didn't help that the two were so close, they acted more like sisters then cousins.

Swallowing the food, Luanne looked over at her uncle with a smile. She loved him almost as much as her own father, they were identical twins for crying out loud. People couldn't love one and not the other; that just wasn't possible. Robbie and her father were both very loving with the same morals and interests...Except music; Luanne's father couldn't sing a tune if it killed him just as she couldn't do what Miley does.

"I'm doing great, Uncle Robbie. I love it here with Mamaw; plus she got me a really good job at Uncle Jiff's horse stable. Ya'll should come out there with me before ya leave." She had a very thick accent, almost as bad as Robin's. Fortunately she spoke clear and slow enough that it wasn't that hard for other's to understand her.

Taking a sip of his iced tea, Mr. Stewart nodded his head in agreement. He would love to see where his niece works and what she does. Especially since she worked at a place he used to work at back when he was a teenager. "I think we'd all love to come see you at work. You know...I worked there as well when I was about your age. It's a great place."

Miley gently carried her friend up the stairs to the room they'd be staying in, laying her on the bed once they were inside. She softly sat down beside her, stroking her cheek lovingly while glancing into her eyes with concern. Lilly's skin seemed to be very pale bringing a lot of worry to the other's mind. She also noticed the slight tremor in her friend's body which is why she hadn't let her walk up the stairs by herself.

Wrapping her arms securely around the blonde, Miley placed a gentle kiss to her cheek. "How are you feelin' baby girl?" She asked in a gentle voice, placing Lilly's head softly onto her chest. The singer smiled down at her friend, so blessed to have her in her life. "You could use a little nap, couldn't you precious?" When she saw the weakness in her friend's eyes, Miley knew the answer to her question. She also realized the reason Lilly had been so shakey and weak was because she needed more oxygen. "You need your oxygen sweetie, I'm gonna go get it for you. Try to sleep a bit, okay? I'll be right back love." She pressed her lips soothingly atop Lilly's head before rushing down the stairs to get the tank.

Hurrying down the stairs and into the living room where her father sat with her grandmother and cousin, she looked over at him with worry in her eyes. "Daddy, where's Lilly's oxygen? I think she needs it...she's been very shakey lately, her lips are starting to turn blue!" She frantically paced the room as she waited for her father's reply.

Robbie turned his head to face his daughter, shocked to see her so worried. Although when it came to Lilly, he knew she would do anything for her. "I think it's out in the truck...I must have forgot to take it out." He spoke, realizing he did forget it. He was so happy to be back in his old house that everything else had slipped his mind. "It's a bit heavy so why don't you help her out, Luanne?" The southern man tilted his head to point at his auburn-haired niece.

The identical cousins' quickly made their way outside, nearly running to the car. Luanne looked at her cousin with concern as she opened the trunk of her grandmother's truck. "Miles, darling, how sick is your friend?" Her voice full of empathy while two of them pulled out the oxygen tank. She realized the tears pouring out of her cousin's eyes causing her to put the tank down and to wrap her arms soothingly around the other. "Aww honey, it's gonna be okay... Don't cry." She soothed, rocking her softly.

"It's so hard watching Lilly suffer... She means so much to me and I wish so badly that I could take all of her pain away. The poor sweetie can die at any moment and out of all the pain she deals with, the thing that bothers her the most is the way people treat her... When were at the airport, this two cruel little girls were being so mean to her! They called her a freak and were mad that how she looked didn't matter to me. I wanted to beat the life out of them...I never thought I'd want to do something like that but seeing how hurt Lilly was filled me with rage. And besides that, Rose said Lilly's tried to kill herself before...due to people making fun of her because of how she looks! What the hell is wrong with people? Why do they feel they have the right to treat anyone like that? Especially to such a sweet person like Lilly...She puts everything and everyone before herself! She doesn't deserve to ever feel bad about herself..." Miley sobbed out, hating that her best friend felt so terrible about herself.

Luanne kept her hold on the girl, surprised at how emotional she'd been about Lilly. She knew her cousin to be a caring, generous person but the way she spoke about her friend went beyond that. "People don't care about other's feelings these days... It's ashame. And poor Lilly having to deal with people's nasty remarks on top of her awful disease! That's not right, not right at all. At least she has you there to protect her. Poor, poor baby... Where are their parents? Haven't they come with ya'll?" She asked, looking down at the other with empathy as she stroked her hair.

That question caused even more tears to fall from Miley's green eyes while she held onto her cousin for dear life. She hadn't cried like this in a long time...She would never breakdown in front of Lilly as the girl needed her to be strong. A good reason to be home with her family so that if she did need to cry she could find her cousin. "H-h-her parents died in a car crash a few weeks ago..." She choked out, still loathing that her Lilly had to go through their death. "That poor baby just has no luck, does she? As if suffering with luekemia and being bullied isn't enough, she has to lose her parents too! How cruel can life be to her? She doesn't deserve all the pain she has to deal with... This is going to be her first Christmas without her parents and I don't know how she's going to react. I know what it's like to lose one but my poor Lilly lost both of hers! I don't even want to think of what that's like..."

Swaying back and forth while holding the brunette, Luanne pressed a comforting kiss to the top of her head. She remembered how hard it had been for Miley to lose her mother...Those two had been extremely close. Her death had caused her cousin a lot of grief, she had spent a whole month just spending the night with her holding her as she shook violently with heart-wrenching sobs. The memory of such a tragic time in their lives made her squeeze Miley a little tighter. "Oh my god...poor little thing! I remember how hard of a time you had dealing with your momma's death...God, I can't even begin to imagine what that sweet little angel is going through! She doesn't have much luck...except that she has you in her life. You're exactly what she needs right now, Mile. You can help her through the loss of her parents and deal with her disease. You're a very strong and caring person which is what Lilly needs. Obviously she's a strong person herself, but that strength has to come from somewhere and I have a feeling it's you." She kissed her cousin's forehead motherly, before picking the oxygen tank up again. "Now let's get this up there and make sure she's doing okay."

Miley gently caressed Lilly's cheeks as she looked into her eyes with compassion. She was beyond thankful to see some color back in the girl's face. An improvement had been noticeable the minute they got the oxygen connected to her. "You look a lot better, baby." The singer kept her voice soft, hoping it would lull the ill girl to sleep soon as she knew she could use a good rest. She pressed a loving kiss to the top of her friend's head. "Get some sleep sweetheart. You need to, you're exhausted and I'm not leeting you do anything else until you've had a little rest." Miley sighed at the refusal in the other's eyes, pulling her onto her chest as she lay down beside her. "Fine, you don't have to sleep but you need to at least lay down and relax." She spoke gently while wrapping the blanket around them.

Luanne watched them in amazement at how her cousin acted so lovingly towards Lilly. In all honesty, she found it to be very sweet and touching to see how close the two girls were. Miley had been so gentle with the other girl, it melted her heart to see that. She could tell that her cousin didn't just love her friend, but she adored her and that was so precious.

She carefully walked over to them, taking a seat on the bed beside them while looking down at Lilly with empathy. "You should get some sleep, darling, it'll give ya some strength back. Miley won't leave you, she'll be sitting right here the whole time. I can guarantee you that, Lilly. You're her best friend and she never leaves her best friend. So just shut your precious little eyes and let yourself rest. You'll feel much better after a nap, sweet pea." Luanne grabbed a hold of one of Lilly's hands, stroking it comfortingly with her thumb. "I know what it'll help you fall asleep." She glanced over at Miley with a smile, leaning over to whisper in her ear, "You should sing to her, Miles."

The brunette looked at her cousin then down to her friend who desperately needed to sleep and smiled. She gently scooped the girl into her arms, holding her close onto her chest. "What's your favorite song, sweetie?" Her voice gentle as she rubbed the girl's back in soothing circles. Lilly shrugged her shoulders weakly, feeling more and more tired with each breath she took. Miley only smiled more while pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Well, I know the perfect song...One my daddy always sang to me when I was a child. I can guarantee you'll be asleep by the end of it sweetie."

She started to hum the tune and before long was singing softly into her friend's ear. Tears fell onto her chest, when she looked down she noticed Lilly had started to cry while holding onto the brunette's shirt for dear life. Miley gave her a sad smile, rocking her softly as she continued to sing to her. Soon she felt the girl begin to shake as quiet sobs escaped her. "Aww honey, please don't cry...Shhh, shhh. Everything's okay baby doll..." She held her tighter, pressing comforting kisses to her head. "Shhh, shhh. It's all okay, my sweetie. There's no need to cry, Lilly, you're fine. Close your precious little eyes and focus on my voice, let all your pain and suffering just fade away. I've got you and I won't let you go, baby. You're safe with me, my sweet angel. I love you so much, Lilly, I always will baby girl. Forever."


	10. Chapter Ten

__I'm sorry it's taken me almost a month to update this! I've been so busy with work and my sister's graduation party that I didn't feel like writing. Anyway I finally sat down today and told myself I couldn't do anything else until I finished it. So here it is! Please read and review! Hopefully I'll have the next chapter out sooner than a month. But we'll see as I'm finally starting college this fall and I'll still be working so I can't make any promises. Every review helps me to want to finish this story :)__

Chapter Ten

Monday morning had Robbie and Robin sitting in the kitchen while having their morning coffee. The red-head grandmother sipped savoringly through her coffee as she read the morning paper. Something she did every morning for as long as she could remember. Several minutes later a very tired looking Luanne came walking in, yawning as she did so. She made her way to the counter while pouring herself a cup of coffee.

The two adults glanced over at her with a warm smile as they motioned for her to sit down with them. "Good morning, darlin'. What has you up this early? It's barely six am." Robbie questioned in curiousity, he never knew a teenager who would willingly get up at such an early time in the morning. If he had wanted Miley to get up early, he'd have to pour ice cubes on her bed.

Luanne took a seat inbetween her grandmother and uncle, gulping her coffed down in the process. She didn't always enjoy having to be up at such an early hour so coffee had become a best friend to her. "Mornin' Mamaw, Uncle Robbie." She spoke, taking another sip of coffee. "I'm up because I gotta go get the horses fed and clean out the chicken coup."

Mr. Stewart smiled lovingly at his niece very surprised to see that she wasn't bothered by doing chores. If only his daughter felt the same way. "Isn't that nice of you? If ya need any help, feel free to wake Mile up. I think helping you with the horses and chickens might do her a whole lotta good."

"Nah, I'm used to doing it all myself...besides she's got her friend to look after." The auburn haired woman spoke as she gulped the rest of her coffee down and placed the mug in the sink.

Robin shook her head in disagreement, wagging her finger at Luanne. Her granddaughter never accepted any help when it came to her chores and although she found that sweet, she also thought it to be quite annoying at times. "You're so stubborn sometimes, Lu!" She exclaimed while setting her newspaper aside and having a gulp of coffee. "Go clean out the chicken coup first and come back, by then the other three should be up...Maybe little Rose can help you with the horses in a few. She seems like a sweet little girl, a bit reserved, so helping you out might make her feel more comfortable around here."

A few hours later, the rest of the family had been awake as they all sat at the kitchen table. Grandmother Stewart served everyone some scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast with coffee to wash it down. She watched as everyone happily dug in, enjoying the wonderful food...well all except Lilly. It's not that the girl hadn't enjoyed it, as she surely did, it's that her stomach couldn't hold a huge volume of food in it.

Robin looked over at the ill girl with concern, wondering why she barely touched her plate. She peered into the blonde's eyes with worry and concern. "Are you all right, darlin'?" Her voice full of worry as she glanced over at Lilly. She hadn't really considered that the blonde's disease could be causing her not to feel as hungry.

Miley placed a comforting kiss to her friend's forehead as she looked over towards her grandmother with a sad smile. She knew Mrs. Stewart hated to see people starve themselves but Lilly hadn't been doing that on purpose...she couldn't physically eat such a huge amount of food. "She's okay, mamaw. She just isn't able to eat as much as us...it makes her feel really sick if she eats too much. So please don't push it...Lilly will eat what she can." The brunette singer spoke gently, wrapping her arms protectively around the smaller girl.

"Well how about after ya'll finish your breakfast, the four of you girls head on out to take care of the horses. The fresh air will do you some good." The older woman spoke as she spread some strawberry jam onto her toast.

Luanne glared at her grandmother with a tiny bit of anger...she hated letting people help her with her chores. Anybody else would be more than happy to have help with chores but for her that was like someone claiming a history test she aced as their own. She didn't really take well to allowing others to accompany her in doing the chores as for her that had been a small get-away.

Mr. Stewart noticed the refusal in his niece's eyes so he quickly came up with an idea while looking over at his mother. "Well actually, I was planning on taking Mile and Lilly down to the farmer's market with me this afternoon...see what kind of fresh vegetables they have on sale this week." He then peered down at Luanne with a warm smile. "Why don't you show Rose the horses? She's never seen them in person before. And you can show her how you look after them."

Luanne led Rose out to the stable, carefully opening the door and smiling as she seen the horses waiting for her by the edge of their stalls. Seeing the beautiful horses always brightened her day; they were her life. She walked over to the stall that her horse stood in, smiling lovingly at her. "Hey there, Mocha." She spoke softly to the chesnut colored horse, petting the tip of her nose.

She gently reached down to unlock the stall, walking inside while motioning for Rose to do the same. "So you've never been up close to a horse before?" The woman questioned as she began to brush the antsy horse. She looked over at the young child who's expression had been unreadable. "You don't need to be shy, sugar. No one's gonna bite you...well the horses might...but that would be a very rare event!" She smiled warmly at the other, continuing to brush the horses' fur in a circular motion.

Rose slowly walked over to them, her eyes wide with worry as she looked up at the huge animal in front of her. She had never been this close to a horse before and it had frightened her a bit. "Well...not really." She spoke quietly, not too sure what else to say. "We've never really had time to do anything fun because of Lilly's being so sick. Lil and I always wanted to ride a horse but our mother thought it to be too dangerous...especially for Lilly."

"Awww, well maybe this afternoon we can go for a ride on Mocha. Would you like that, Rose? She's a very gentle girl, she won't be jumping over anything." Luanne smiled softly at the shorter girl as she finished grooming her horse. She then led the other out of the stall and over to where they kept the horse feed. "Grab a handful and place it in the bucket over in Mocha's stall."

Arriving at the farmer's market, Robbie slowly pulled into a parking spot and then popped the trunk open so he could get the wheel chair out for Lilly. He opened the back door for the two girls, smiling sadly at the blonde as he motioned for her to get in the wheel chair. The look on her face when she saw her wheel chair waiting for her broke both Mr. Stewart's and Miley's heart. They hated forcing her to do something that upset her but they knew it was good for her. She had been too weak to walk long distances.

Miley gently scooped the smaller girl into her arms while getting out of the car with her. She soothingly placed Lilly into the wheel chair, pressing her lips to the top of her head. "I know you hate having to use the wheel chair but I'd rather you be safe sweetie." She spoke softly to the girl, stroking both her cheeks in comforting circles. "You're so precious, Lil."

Robbie locked the car and the three of them started heading down the produce section. He then glanced down at Lilly, who miserably sat in her wheel chair, and smiled softly at her. "Ever been to a farmer's market before, Lilly?" He asked as they kept on walking down the street. The smell of fresh vegetables clearly evident in the air surrounding them.

Shaking her head in response, she looked down at the ground in shame. Anytime she sat in the wheel chair she always felt ashamed...not just for her own self but also for Miley and Robbie as they were burdened with her. She loathed being a burden to others, she didn't want them to have to deal with her just because they pittied her.

Sighing sadly, Miley stopped and knelt down in front her friend while looking up into her eyes with compassion. She sensed that the girl had felt ashamed of herself and she hated to see that. "Look up, sweetie." The singer spoke gently, lifting Lilly's chin up so their eyes met each other's. She smiled lovingly at the beautiful blue eyes that stared into her green ones. "Don't be ashamed of yourself, Lilly... Please! You're a beautiful, beautiful person. You have no good reason to be ashamed of yourself, sweetie pie." She noticed how the other's head tilted to the wheel chair and shook her head sadly. "Honey, that's no reason to be ashamed of yourself. The wheel chair doesn't define who you are, angel, people aren't going to judge you because of that...and if they do then they're not worth a minute of your time. Don't worry about what other's think of you; because no matter what anyone says, you are always going to be a beautiful person. And if anyone says a thing to upset you, you tell me baby girl and _**I**_ will deal with them." She spoke gently to the ill girl, cupping her face in her hands while lightly caressing her cheeks.

Finally making it to the produce area the three hurried over to see what fresh vegetables they could find. Miley could tell people had been giving pittied or disgusted looks towards her friend, which saddened her, so she made sure to stroke comforting circles around Lilly's cheeks. "Ignore the looks, sweetie; they don't matter." The brunette's voice soothed as she continued to wheel Lilly behind her father's footsteps.

Robbie found a row of fresh asparagus, something he knew would go great in the meal he had been planning to make this evening. He smiled as he grabbed a handful of them while placing them in a clear bag. He then glanced over towards his daughter and Lilly, curious to see what kind of vegetables they would like. "Ya'll have any opinions on what kind of veggies we get? I'm planning on making a vegetable stew tonight for dinner." The southern man asked, watching how the two girls' were bonding. A smile spread across his face as he knew his suspicisions were correct...his daughter was definitely in love with Lilly.

That afternoon the four girls headed out the stable to go for a ride on the horses. Miley lovingly carried Lilly to her horses' stall, smiling brightly at the beautiful creature. "Hey there, buddy." She spoke softly to him, reaching her hand out to stroke his nose. "Mind if Lil and I take a ride on you for a bit?" Blue Jeans rubbed his head on Miley's shoulder while lightly bumping her on the cheek with his nose. The brunette chuckled, kissing his head warmly. "I'll take that as a yes."

Miley watched as her friend moved her frail hand close to the horses' head, beginning to stroke it with care. A smile formed on her face as she observed Lilly in awe. It made her heart swell to see that the girl had finally been warming up to her beloved Blue Jeans. She gently pulled the smaller girl into a loving embrace, pressing a soothing kiss to her forehead in the process.

Feeling the strong arms wrapped around her, Lilly smiled to herself. Having her friend's arms around her always helped her to feel safer and even happier. Even the slimplest act of having Miley in her presence made her feel happier. "You and your father are very kind for inviting my sister and I along on your family trip." Her voice soft as she returned the other's hug by wrapping her arms around her neck. "I think Rosie's really enjoying it..It's helping her to keep her mind off our parents..."

"Lil, sweetie, we couldn't just leave the two of you to fend for yourselves... You guys don't have anywhere to go! Well you _didn't_ have anywhere to go, but I can guarantee the both of you will be living with my daddy and I from now on. And don't you dare feel that either of you are burdening us, because you're not! We love you guys; you're a part of our family now, baby girl." The singer spoke gently as she looked lovingly into Lilly's blue eyes.

Lilly felt her eyes well up with tears as she held onto the other for dear life. She peered up into her friend's eyes with softness, lightly stroking her cheek. Words couldn't even form as she tried to think of a response to that... Tears trickeled down her cheeks as she squeezed Miley tighter. "D-d-do y-you r-really m-mean that?" Her voice shaky with sobs.

Smiling lovingly down at the tearful girl in her arms, Miley nodded her head enthusiastically. "I mean that more than anything, baby..." She gently reached down to wipe the tears from Lilly's eyes while kissing her cheek comfortingly. "Don't cry, Lil, it's all okay! Let's go inside; you need to rest for a bit angel. We'll go for a ride on Blue Jeans later."

The singer softly sat Lilly on the couch before taking a seat beside her and stroking her cheek. She smiled lovingly at the smaller girl, so grateful to have her in her life. Eneveloping her arms around her friend in a warm embrace Miley pressed her lips soothingly atop the other's head. "You rest for a bit, sweetie. I'm gonna go start a fresh pot of coffee and help my Mamaw with the cleaning." She kept her voice soft as she squeezed the girl tight. "As soon as the coffee's done, I'll bring you a cup. I want you to sleep for a few though, okay angel?" Her eyes serious as they peered lovingly into Lilly's blue.

Getting a tired nod from the blonde, Miley gave her one last squeeze and then wrapped a blanket around her as she pressed a comforting kiss to her cheek. "Sleep well, my sweetheart; I'll be back to check on you soon." She spoke soothingly to the girl who had been on the brink of falling asleep.

After making sure her Lilly had been truly asleep, the chestnut haired singer slowly made her way into the kitchen. She went over to the coffee pot, take it out the old filter and putting in a new one, scooping two cups of fresh coffee beans into it. Letting it brew, she went over to the table where her father was seated while pulling a chair out for herself. A smile spread it's way accross her cheeks as watched Robbie contently ravage through his book.

"Where's Mamaw?" She asked, after realizing the elder woman was no where in sight. So much for helping her with the cleaning, she thought to herself...although it hadn't really bothered her; she wasn't much of a cleaner anyway.

Robbie looked up from his book, smiling cheerfully at his daughter as he only now seen her presence. "She had to run out to pick up some groceries for the upcoming week...It's gonna be a full house this Christmas, bud." He let another smile form at the thought; he loved celebrating Christmas with all the relatives in his hometown. They always had such a wonderful time together. "What're you and Lilly up to this afternoon? Have ya taken her for a ride on good ol' Blue Jeans?" He asked sincerely, hoping Miley might open up to him about her feelings for her dear best friend.

Miley gazed up at her father as she felt a smile forming on her face. She could sense how much her father truly cared for the friendship she and Lilly shared. And that alone was enough for her to wrap her father in a warm embrace. "We were gonna go for a ride but she looked so weak, so I had her lay down to rest. We'll probably go later these evening after supper... I just don't want Lilly to use all her energy." The young singer spoke as she snuggled deeper into her father's strong, loving arms.

The southern man held his daughter close, pleased to hear how caring she'd been with her friend. It made him happy to know that he had raised such a strong young woman who could fend for herself and others as well. He pressed a loving kiss atop Miley's head, looking down at her with a smile. "You really care about her, don't ya bud?"

"More than anything, daddy..." Miley beamed as she kissed her father's cheek. "Lilly means so much to me; I would quit my singing career forever if it meant she would be rid of all her cancer. I can't stand to see how weak it makes her... And how we have to force her into a wheelchair when we go places. The sad look in her eyes breaks my heart! The taunts and looks people give to her because of how she looks makes rage build inside me...I think I would hurt someone if they upset Lil."

Hearing those loving words come out of his grown daughter's mouth confirmed his suspicions that she had been in love with her best friend. And now he felt he needed to get her to realize those feelings so that she could one day talk to Lilly about them. "You really love her, bud... What a sacrifice you would make for her; I'm proud of you." His voice husky with admiration for the care she held for her precious friend.

Miley peered up into her father's eyes with a glowing smile, nodding her head in agreement to his statement. "Of course I love her, daddy, she's my best friend! I would do anything and everything for that precious girl. She deserves happiness and to be loved; She puts everyone above herself..." She spoke softly, meaning every word she spoke.

"No, no; that's not what I mean, darlin'..." Robbie shook his head, it was going to quite a while to get Miley to understand exactly the love she felt towards the girl. "You love her...in the same way that I loved my sweet Noelle... I see it in the way you speak to her and hold her in your arms; I think she feels the same about you because when she's with you she feels safe. She makes you happy, bud, and you her...And that makes me happy. I think you two are perfect for each other, the way your momma and I were. I gave up my singing career for her and would do it all over again just to spend another day with her..." He cleared his throat as he held his daughter close, the subject of his late wife always brought tears to his eyes; she was his solemate, the only one he could ever marry and have a family with. "If you love her, I think you best tell her... Do it before the chance is gone, because you _will_ regret it if you don't take that chance darlin'." He pressed a loving kiss to her forehead, squeezing her gently before releasing her entirely.

About an hour or so later, Miley found herself sitting beside her sleeping Lilly; watching her in awe. She sipped her coffee as she pressed a loving to kiss down to her forehead. After the deep conversation with her father, Miley realized what he said was true; she did love Lilly more than what she'd been letting on and tonight would be the night she would tell her of those feelings. She smiled down at the shorter girl, stroking her cheeks lightly with her thumb.

Soon the blonde was stirring and her eyes fluttered open, peering up at Miley with disorientation. She frantically sat up, looking around the room in a panicky state of mind. "W-w-where a-a-are w-we?" Her voice trembling with fright as she stared lucidly into her friend's concerned green eyes.

Miley immediately pulled the frightened girl into her arms, pressing soft kisses atop her head to soothe her. "Shhhh, shhhh... Calm down, my sweet girl." She soothed lovingly into her ear, placing Lilly's head onto her chest while looking into her eyes with gentleness. "We're at Mamaw's house sweetie. You're okay, you just woke up from your nap. Did you sleep well, baby girl?" She asked warmly, rocking them softly back and forth.

Lilly didn't respond only snuggled closer into the other's arms, nearly falling back to sleep from the soothing sound of Miley's heartbeat underneath her. She let her eyes droop shut as she felt the taller girl wrap the wool blanket around them; she felt safe to be in her friend's loving arms. "M-Miley..." She whispered, holding onto her tightly.

"I'm right here baby, I'm right here." Miley's voice soothed as she held the girl close, kissing her head gently. "You can go back to sleep if you want, sweetheart...I'll be right here the whole time. I won't let you go, just relax. Close your beautiful eyes and relax. Everything's okay; you're safe my precious."

The shorter girl weakly looked up at her friend, seeing how much Miley cared for her and sniffled. She reached for her hand, squeezing it softly in her own as she burried her head into the other's chest. "Y-y-you're s-s-so a-a-amazing..." Her voice shook as she continued to hold onto her friend's hand. "I-I think I f-feel a bit better now... I'm sorry for acting so strange, I think it's cause' I slept too much."

Shaking her head disapprovingly, the singer pulled Lilly closer in her arms. She peered down at her, sympathy gleaming in her eyes while she stroked soothing circles on her back. "Don't you dare apologize, sweetie." Miley started, keeping her voice soft but firm. "It's not your fault that you felt a bit disorienteted. So don't you feel that way, Lil. Is anything else bothering you? You feel okay now baby?" She rocked the girl softly in her arms, wishing she could take all her pain away...or even cure her. She didn't want her sweet Lilly to suffer anymore.

"Y-yes, I f-feel much better now." Lilly whispered softly as she reached up to comfortingly stroke her friend's cheek. "T-thank you for caring about me, Miley... It means a lot to me and helps me through all the suffering; it really does." A sad smile spread across the blonde's pale cheeks as she gazed into her friend's eyes.

Seeing the other smile had Miley smiling as well while she squeezed her gently in her arms. Maybe she'd better tell Lilly how much she loved and cared for her now, rather than waiting. And she had the perfect place to do so as she carefully lifted the two of them off the couch before carrying her outside. "Awwww Lilly, sweetie, I'll always be here to care for you." She said, gently holding her from behind while kissing the top of her head. "Let's go for a walk, Lil, I've got a really nice spot I'd like to show you. You okay to walk, sweetie?" She hadn't let her walk until she saw her nod her head profusely.

Arriving at her private spot that Miley never shared with anyone until now, she spread the blanket on the ground and then gently pulled Lilly to sit down on it with her. She smiled lovingly over at the blonde, grabbing both her hands in her own as she stroked them lightly with her thumbs. "I used to come here all the time and write songs...This place is so inspirational for my music writing, especially when I lost my mother. She actually showed me this beautiful place when I was a little girl; it was our special spot we'd come to just to talk and spend quality time together." She wiped the little bit of tears that welled up in her eyes, then pulled Lilly onto her lap and held her close for several silent moments before speaking up again.

"And now I'd like to share this spot with you, Lilly, because I love you..." She spoke softly, laying the blonde's head onto her chest as she looked into her eyes with compassion. "I love you so much, my sweet Lilly. So much that if giving up my singing career forever would mean you're not suffering with cancer anymore than I would do it in a hearbeat! I would do anything and everything for you sweetheart, you're the most important person in my life...I didn't even realize any of this until my daddy pointed it out to me earlier this afternoon. And now that I have, I couldn't be happier; You're my love, Lilly, my one and only love just like my daddy had his Noelle. You're my beautiful Lilly. It's all right if you need time to think about this, okay? Don't feel that you need to rush your mind, you take as much time as you need to think. I'll be right here, I'll never leave you Lilly. You're my soulmate, I know you are. So whatever time you need to think this over you take it and I'll be patiently waiting. I love you, sweetheart."

Tears came pouring down Lilly's cheeks like a waterfall as she squeezed Miley tighter. Hearing those powerful, loving words come out of the other's mouth made her heart melt into tiny pieces. She felt her body heave with sobs as she peered up into the beautiful green eyes smiling down at her. "O-oh M-Miley... T-t-that...I-I d-don't know what t-to s-say to that... M-my heart just melted..." She sobbed, wrapping her arms lovingly around Miley's neck as she squeezed her softly. "Y-y-you're my r-r-reason to breathe, Miley... I couldn't survive without you, I don't think... I-I've a-always lo-loved you Miley...even before we met... And not because of your music or your fame...there was something about you that made me fall in love with you... I never thought I'd get the chance to meet you, I dreamt about it but never thought about it... You were the only reason I'd want to even try to live, I hated myself more than anything but the love I had for you was stronger than how I felt about me. I kept living because I held onto my dreams of meeting you and thought maybe if I did that, it would come true. And somehow it did come true...I'm so grateful and thankful that I got to meet you and now we're so close...and we're soulmates! I never, ever, ever thought that someone as amazing and beautiful as you would ever love me the way I love you...I don't deserve you, you're too good for me Miles! You treat me so tenderly and kindly, I don't deserve it. It doesn't make sense that you love me, because I'm no where near as amazing as you...or as beautiful. Your beauty is not just on the outside but shown within your actions, you're an angel Miley... I swear you've saved my life...I love you more than anything in the whole entire universe! You're the only reason I'm still on this Earth." Lilly's voice cracked into heart-wrenching sobs as she held onto the other tightly.

Miley had tears streaming down her own cheeks now as she pulled the girl closer to her, kissing her head lovingly. She looked down into her eyes with passion as she held her tighter, hoping to stop her from shaking. "Sweetie...do not ever say you don't deserve me... You deserve all the love and happiness in the world, baby! You're the sweetest little thing I've ever met and I will do everything I can to make sure you're happy. I love you so deeply, my Lilly, I really do." She pressed her lips gently on top of Lilly's as she guided them in their first loving kiss. "And don't you dare say you're not beautiful, don't! Because you are Lilly, you're beyond beautiful sweetheart! Why can't you see that? Why can't you see how beautiful and precious you are, baby? I hate when you insult yourself and make yourself feel bad, you don't deserve that Lilly... Is it because you don't have hair that you don't think you're beautiful? Is that what it is, sweetie pie? Because if that's so, then I think maybe I'll cut my hair off so I can be hairless with you. Sound good babe?" She cradled the smaller girl in her arms, sincerity and love gleaming through her eyes. "I mean it, Lil, I'll do it. If it makes you feel better than I'm all for going bald. You're my sweetheart, Lilly."

Lilly looked up at her with wide eyes and shook her head sadly. She let more tears run down her cheeks as she squeezed Miley's neck softly. "No Miley, don't shave your hair for me." She spoke, her voice hoarse with sadness as she looked down in shame of herself. "You're too kind to me Miley, but please don't cut your hair off out of pity for me."

"There you go again, feeling ashamed of yourself! Lilly, please, listen to me! I love you so, so much; I want to see you happy, I want you to feel good about yourself. You deserve to for all the suffering you go through! And you deserve you all my love that I give you, you deserve it all sweetie! And I will be shaving my hair off, not because I pity you sweetie, but because it's okay to have no hair. You need to understand that. You need to realize how beautiful you truly are and STOP listening to what others say about you! No one's opinion should matter to you except your own." Miley spoke, letting her emotions out as she tearfully looked into Lilly's sad eyes. She wrapped her tightly in her arms, swaying back and forth. "I love you Lilly, I love you more than anything. And you are the most beautiful person I've ever and will ever meet. _You_ are **my** angel; my sweet, beautiful angel." She cupped both her cheeks lovingly as she guided their lips into another gentle kiss. "I love you, baby..."


	11. Chapter Eleven

_I finally finished this chapter...I worked hard on it, I'd say so I'd appreciate reviews please. Two would be ideal...but one's okay too. I'll still update the story. I'll try to work on Chapter Two for my new story, seeing as people like that one as well, but my main focus is this story. I wanna finish a story for once! Anyway, uh please read and review; please! Thanks!_

Chapter Eleven

Miley stood in the bathroom staring intently at herself in the mirror. Was she really about to do this? A question that ran through her mind several times as she held her father's shaving razor in her hand. Sure she had loved her long, chestnut curls, but her Lilly needed this to be done. She needed for Miley to shave her head or she would never feel any better about herself. At least that's what the brunette had told herself.

Slowly but surely, Miley lifted the razor to her head while lightly guiding it through her long curls. As she got halfway through her head of hair, the door opened to reveal a shocked Luanne. She gasped at the sight before her; she never thought Miley to be the one to ever cut her hair. "What in Sam's heck are you doin', Mile?" The southern cousin's voice questioned, shock and surprise feeling her tone.

The other girl continued to shave her hair, watching each clump fall to the ground with a twinge of sadness. No matter how much she loved the long hair it was all worth it if it meant seeing her Lilly happy. "I'm shaving my hair off... For my precious Lilly; she's so hard on herself, thinking she's ugly because she has no hair...So I'm gonna show her it's perfectly okay to be bald, besides maybe it'll help me to not get recognized when I go out in public with Lils." She spoke softly, as she finally shaved off the last bit of hair. Setting the razor aside, Miley glanced at herself in the mirror then over to Luanne. "What do you think, Lu?"

"I think you look absolutely stunning, Mile; and Lilly will absolutely cry her eyes out. What you did for her is so sweet and touching... You're an amazing friend to her; I don't know anyone who would shave all their hair off for a friend." The auburn haired girl spoke, smiling softly at the other. Pleased to have such an amazing cousin; and happy to know that the fame hadn't gone to the girl's head.

Miley beamed, pulling her cousin in for a tight embrace. She couldn't wait to see Lilly's reaction and hoped that she wouldn't feel bad about it. She knew her poor friend might think she chose to do this out of pity, even though that certianly wasn't the case. "Lilly's my sweetie; I love her with all my heart and I would do anything just to see her smile. She deserves to be happy for once in her life, Lu, and if my shaving my head is what makes her happy then so be it!"

Lilly sat out on the back porch of Grandma Stewart's house as the two enjoyed a pot of coffee together. The blonde didn't think she'd warm up to her friend's family as quick as she had, but with how welcoming everyone was it'd been quite easy. She brought the mug to her lips, savoring every sip of her coffee. Southerners sure knew how to make a declicious pot of it, Lilly thought to herself.

The grandmother smiled over at her grandchild's best friend; she seemed to be such a sweet girl. "Are you enjoin' your stay, darlin'?" She asked the young girl as she took a sip of her own coffee. Robin absolutely loved this time of the year; winter was her favorite season and having all her children and grandchildren spend the holiday with her made it all the more special.

Grinning, Lilly nodded her head enthusiastically. This had been her first time ever leaving her home state; because of her illness, her parents never allowed her to travel anywhere so coming here had been a real treat for her. "I'm loving it down here, Mrs. Stewart ma'am. I've never really traveled away from home before so this is just spectacular!" She smiled at her friend's grandmother, grateful for her family's allowing her to join their trip.

"Oh Lilly, honey; there's no need to speak so formally to me. You don't need to call me Mrs. Stewart or ma'am. Call me Mamaw, I don't mind at all. In fact I encourage it! And I'm very pleased to hear how much you're liking it here, you need something to be happy about." Robin set her mug down, then engulfed the blonde in a gentle embrace. She really adored this young girl; and she knew her dear granddaughter had as well.

Miley softly watched as her Lilly sat peacefully in the living room drinking a cup of tea and smiled to herself. The young girl always made her heart swell with love; she was just the sweetest little thing. Slowly, the brunette made her way into the room while wrapping her arms lovingly around her best friend. "My sweet Lilly; how are you feelin' today?" She asked gently, pressing her lips atop the other's head.

The shorter girl smiled at the feeling of her friend's arms wrapped around her. She then turned around to face the other and gasped when she saw that Miley's long brown locks were no more. "M-Miley...w-what happened to your hair?" Her voice shook as she reached up to touch the taller one's hairless head.

"Awww no sweetie, don't start to cry... I cut my hair off because I want you to feel better about yourself. You deserve to feel good, Lil; don't you dare argue about that with me. I love you more than anything, my Lilly, I will do anything for you." Miley spoke warmly to the other, holding her close in her arms. There had been no way she was about to let her friend feel ashamed of herself over this.

Lilly wrapped her own frail arms softly around the brunette's neck, squeezing her gently as tears poured out from her eyes. She glanced up into Miley's eyes with a tearful smile forming on her face. No one had ever done such a kind thing for her and she could never re-pay her enough for it. "O-oh Miley... That's the kindest thing anyone's ever done for me... You're the best friend anyone could ever ask for, Miles! I love you s-so m-much."

Cupping the smaller girl's cheeks, Miley softly pressed her lips atop hers while guiding them in a loving kiss. "I love you too, my sweetheart. I always will." She smiled gently at the blue eyes that gazed into hers. "Let's go into the kitchen and have a pot of coffee...I really need some." The brunette stood up with Lilly cradled in her arms and brought them into the kitchen, sitting her friend down in one of the wooden chairs.

As Miley prepared a fresh brew of coffee, the shorter girl sat silently at the table. She still couldn't believe the kind gesture her friend had done for her. It really touched her heart to know how much the singer cared for her. She couldn't think of anyone who would be so kind as to shave their hair off just to make a friend feel better about themself. And for that, Lilly would always be grateful to her and love her.

Once the pot was full, Miley got two mugs out while pouring the steaming hot coffee into each of them. She carefully carried them over to the table, sitting across from her friend and handing a cup over to her. A smile spread it's way upon the singer's face as she reached for one of her friend's hands. "I love you so much, my sweet Lilly." She spoke softly, stroking the delicate hand she held in her own. "What would you like to do today, Lil? It looks like it'll be a beautiful day out, we could go for a walk. We could stop by the horse stable and see how Blue Jeans is. Does that sound good, sweetie?"

Later in the week had the house filling with more and more relatives. So many relatives that nearly every room in the house was filled with at least two people. Robin made sure to keep all the pets down in the basment as to not cause' illness to those with allergies. And she let everyone who's pet stay in the basment know that they are responsible to see that the animal is fed and let outside for bathroom uses twice a day. There was no way she'd be forced to scrub the floors after the holidays.

Miley sat out on the front porch, Lilly right beside her, with her aunts and uncles as they talked to her about her singing career. Everyone in her family loved listening to her beautiful singing and were shocked to hear that she decided to take a long needed break from it. The younger cousins had been especially upset because they loved to brag at school about having the amazing Miley Stewart as their own flesh in blood.

The brunette smiled, glancing down at her friend, before giving a reason for why she'd been taking a break. She hoped no one would say anything to upset her dear Lilly. "I need a break..." Her voice slowly started, as she reached down to take a hold of the smaller girl's hand. "Not just for myself but because my sweet best friend is dealing with a serious illness and she needs all the love and support she can get." Miley gently stroked the fragile hand she held, smiling softly at the blonde. "This is Lilly, my best friend. I met her several months ago when she was stuck in the hospital suffering through horrendous treatment. She's suffering with leukemia; she's had it since she was just a little girl. Lilly's the strongest person I have ever met and so happy she's in my life; She's still able to smile everyday even though she's dealing with so much pain that she doesn't deserve!" She lovingly placed the other's head onto her chest, knowing she still felt terrible for Miley's break. Gently stroking the mostly bald head, she peered at all the relatives sitting around them. "Please don't judge my sweetie based on how she looks... She's sick and fighting so hard to live, she does _not_ need to deal with rude remarks. If any of ya'll have a problem with my beautiful Lilly then please stay away from her, because I _hate_ seeing her upset; especially if it's due to my own family."

Miley glanced around the porch, saddened to see a few of her relatives walk away. How could they do that without even getting to know the poor girl? She asked herself; shocked to know that her own family would shun away a person who means so much to her. Shaking her head, she gazed down at her friend to make sure she hadn't felt ashamed of herself. "Don't feel bad, sweetie; you'll always be beautiful to me." She soothingly whispered into the smaller girl's ear as she held her close. No matter what her family thought, she would always love her precious Lilly.

Rose watched as her older sister talked with Miley's relatives; happy to know that not everyone felt the need to avoid her. She slightly smiled, pleased to see the ill girl actually enjoying herself. It wasn't an often occurrence to see such a thing, well not before they meet the international pop sensation. Who, she knew, made her sister more than happy and would continue to do so for as long as their friendship lasted.

Too into her thoughts, Rose failed to notice a little girl standing in front of her with a cheerful grin. The young girl seemed to be a few inches shorter than herself with long, wavy red hair and bright blue eyes; she almost looked like a mini Miley. "Would you like to come outside and play with me and my big brothers?" She asked with a southern drawl clearly evident.

She smiled down at the little girl, nodding her head in response to the question. "I'd love to." The brunette replied as she was being pulled up from her seat and dragged outside to the backyard. Reaching their destination, Rose noticed two teenage boys fighting over who got kick the ball first. She watched as the little girl walked towards them and made her way inbetween them as she took the ball out of their grasp.

"Neither of you get to go first..." The red-head child spoke, then glanced over at Rose with a smile. "My new friend is gonna kick the ball first!" She carried the round object over to the other and happily handed it to her. "New friend...What's your name? Mine's Millie, but everyone calls me Mimi."

Rose looked down at the soccer ball in her arms with a grin; it had been a long time since she played any sports. Her parents had been to busy taking care of Lilly that there was no time for sports to be played. That didn't bother her though; she hadn't really been into them as a child anyway. While she held the ball, she gazed down at her new friend with a cheerful smile. "What a unique name you have, Millie. I'm Rose." They shook hands and then Millie introduced the older girl to her two older brothers; Tristen and Preston, who turned out to be identical twins.

The four of them ended up playing soccer for nearly two hours straight before everyone had been called into the house for dinner. With over thirty relatives in the house, not everyone could fit in the dinning room so Robin had her two oldest sons move the furniture in the living room all the way to one side; that way they could all sit in there and eat together.

Miley made sure that her Lilly sat right beside her, there was no way she'd allow anyone to torment or upset her. She wrapped an arm gently around the other's shoulder in reassurement that no one would say anything. "Don't worry, my Lilly, no one will upset you...not in Mamaw's presence." She whispered soothingly into her friend's ear before Robin lead everyone in prayer.

As they all started in all their meals, a taller man sitting across from Miley looked at her in thought. He noticed something different about the way she looked; the last time he'd seen her he knew she had long, wavy hair... But now it definitely wasn't wavy...or long. "Miley, did you cut your hair? It looks a lot shorter than I remember! _Much _shorter..." The man asked as he took a sip of his soda.

With a smile, Miley rolled her eyes. Her uncle Earl sure had been getting old seeing as it took him this long to realize how short her hair was. "Why yes, Uncle Earl, my hair is much shorter. I decided to shave it off; I needed a new look. And plus with my break I'm taking, I'm hoping I'll be less recognizable now." She glanced over at her friend who sat silently in her seat observing all the conversations going on around her and gently grabbed her hand underneath the table, stroking it with her thumb.

"Miley Stewart, unrecognizable?! Impossible!" Uncle Earl nearly shouted as he threw his hands up. "People will always recognize you, Miley; your face is one of a kind...Three of a kind, we'll say. You and Luanne are identical cousins after all and little Millie looks quite like you too. But to the rest of the world your face is one of a kind! The only way you'll be unrecognizable is if you never go out in public for a few months..." He looked around the table, happy to see that almost everyone agreed with him.

Miley laughed at how her uncle portrayed her face, she never took into consideration that it's her face people recognize when they see her. That should have been her first thought, but she doesn't always use common sense when she thinks. "Oh, yeah...never really thought of that... I'm sure, though, that if I don't talk to the press for a while people will find some other singer to follow around. Right now I really don't have time for all that, I have more important things I need to worry about." She smiled lovingly at Lilly, happy that she'd get to take care of her for the next several months.

Late that night, Miley sat out by the fire with Lilly resting on her lap and happily stroked her back. "What a peaceful way to end the day, wouldn't you say love?" She gently pressed her lips atop the smaller girl's bare head, thankful to have her precious Lilly with her. One of her favorite things to on a cold, winter night was to sit out by the fire with the people she loved most.

Lilly smiled up at the other, nodding in agreement. It sure was a wonderful way to end their day; sitting by the fire as they listened to all the relatives' stories of their childhoods and sipped on hot chocolate. "It's lovely, just sitting out by the fire." She spoke softly, happily snuggling into the singer's warm embrace.

The two girls sat in silence as they enjoyed each other's warmth and the crackling of the fire in front of them. They hadn't even noticed anyone else's presence until one of Millie's older brothers' came over, clearing his throat to get their attention. "Uh, hey Miley... Your pa said their going to be playing some music on the guitars pretty soon. Wanted to know if you'd like to join them? Everyone loves to listen your singing." He nervously spoke while fiddling with his thumbs.

"Hmm...I don't know..." Miley looked down at the girl in her arms, not really wanting to leave her on her own. But she would love to play her guitar right now, especially with the fire going. Coming up with a comprimise, she glanced over at her younger cousin and smiled. "If you find Luanne and have her come over here, then I'll go ahead and join em'." She watched as he quickly ran off to find the girl, then she gazed down at her friend with concern. "You'll be okay sitting with Luanne, sweetie? Just for a little bit. I know you're still a bit shy with her, but she'll take good care of ya for me." Her voice soothed as she pressed her lips gently onto Lilly's forehead.

The next morning brought a horrendus snow storm, they could barely open the door without a pile of snow falling into the house. Robin would normally have her three sons and oldest grandsons go out to shovel but she thought it to be too much for them, so instead she let everyone enjoy the warmth of the fireplace as she started cooking breakfast. And fortunately she had two of her granddaughters' help out with the cooking.

While the three of them scampered about in the kitchen, Miley and Lilly sat on the floor in the living room watching the fireplace crackle with heat. They sat in silence for a good while, just observing all the relatives and the children running about causing much mischief to their parents. That brought very fond memories to the singer's mind; she remembered when Luanne and her were the little cousins running loose around the house...They always enjoyed causing trouble, and the excitement that Christmas was nearing didn't really help much.

Miley smiled at her thoughts, then glanced down at her blonde friend who she held lovingly in her lap. She wondered what Lilly did for Christmas as a child...before her life had been consumed in illness. "So, Lilly, what was Christmas like in your family? Did you go anywhere? Or did relatives come to your house?" She asked softly, wrapping her arms protectively around the smaller girl. She hadn't really known much about her friend's family, other then her parents.

"Before or after finding out I have cancer?" The blonde questioned, not really sure of an answer to give her friend. Most of her Christmas's post-cancer diagnosis were spent in the hospital or at their house with minimal family. Instead of waiting for a response, Lilly decided to talk about both sides of Christmas celebrations. "The year before I found about my illness, I remember my parents and I going out in search of a real Christmas tree...That's still one of my favorite memories, the fresh smell of pine seeping through my bedroom door in the mornings always made me happy. And helping my mom decorate the tree after Thanksgiving dinner was a great memory. She had so many ornaments, that we had a whole storage room dedicated to them. As I'd pull out one to put on the tree, she'd have a story to go along with it. When we finished decorating the tree my dad would take a picture of the three of us standing in front of it...and that would be our Christmas card each year." She smiled, thinking about it; Christmas was definitely a favorite holiday for her. She loved the time she spent with her parents and the traditions they shared. "I wish all our Christmas's were as happy and cheerful as that... But the year after, when I was diagnosed with leukemia, we spent the holidays in the hospital... What a terrible first Christmas for little Rosie! She didn't get to experience any of the joys I did...it's really ashame, because she'll never know what it's like to have a _real_ Christmas tree in the house. And as for family? They lived in other states and didn't feel the need to come visit with us... My mom's sister didn't think Christmas should be spent in a hospital so she refused to come down; not wanting her children to be around their infected cousin Lilly. But we hadn't need them anyway, we made the most of our Christmas and it turned out quite lovely. The nurses allowed my mom to place a minature Christmas tree in my room, since it was private. That was very nice, I watched Rosie help her decorate it." She looked up at Miley, who had a tear running down her cheek, and let out a sigh. There was no need for her best friend to cry over it; she had still been able to enjoy Christmas while stuck in the hospital. "Please don't cry, Miles... It wasn't bad, mom and dad always made sure Rosie and I had a great Christmas while I was ill in the hospital. And we did, because we got to spend it together as a family."

Shaking her head, Miley pulled the girl closer and peered into her eyes with compassion. She pressed her lips lovingly onto her forehead as she softly caressed her pale cheeks. "I'm not crying because I'm sad sweetie; I'm crying because you're so amazing, Lilly! You're more worried about Rose's first Christmas being ruined than you are about your own Christmas...that's so sweet! Lilly, you are the sweetest person in the world; you put everyone above yourself and that absolutely melts my heart. _You_ melt my heart, Lil; I hope I can make this a Christmas you'll never forget. I love you so much, my sweet girl." She whispered lovingly down to the other, holding her softly against her chest.

That afternoon had the snow nearly melting and the younger cousins outside having a snowball fight. Lilly sat on the porch watching the children play, pleased to see her younger sister joining them. Normally Miley would be sitting right beside her but she had promised Mamaw that she'd help her in the kitchen for a few hours. It didn't really bother the other to be sitting alone, she enjoyed the fresh air and some time to think.

Unfortunately her time alone hadn't last long as a taller man approached her, anger written on his face. He seemed maybe a year two older than herself, his hair roughly sleeked back and his eyes squinting at her in disgust. "You're some freak, Lilly." He spat, looking her over with disapproval. "I don't see what the hell Miley sees in you... Who would befriend someone as hideous as you? I mean you look like a goddamn alien!" He chuckeled evily, smirking at the timid girl. Making people shake with fear always put a smile on the man's face. Especially if they liked his dear neighbor's granddaughter.. "If you really wanna make Mile happy, then I suggest you leave this house and never, ever come back. She doesn't want anything to do with you Lilly; the only reason you're here with them is because they pity you. No one wants you here, not even your little sister _Rosie_." He smiled while grabbing her by the shoulders and throwing her down the porch stairs.

Lilly shook violently as she tried to stand up and run away, but her legs were to weak to take her anywhere. She looked up at the man who pushed her with fear. "P-please leave me alone... I-I d-d-don't even know you..." Her voice shook as she felt tears well up in her eyes. Again, she tried to lift herself up but failed miserable landing herself in more pain.

"I'll leave you alone when you leave this house...You don't deserve to be here! You're nothing but a sorry excuse for a human being who deserves to be killed." He hollered at the girl, grabbing her by the neck and nearly strangling her. Watching her struggle to breathe, he smiled to himself and continued strangling her. After a few minutes he threw her to the ground, stepping on her stomach as hard as he could and ran away. Hoping that he left her for death; he didn't want to see her anywhere near Miley again.

Hearing all the commotion coming outside of the horse stable, Luanne decided she'd better go make sure the cousins' weren't killing each other. But when she stepped outside, what she saw made her heart break... She rushed over to Lilly's weak body and quickly pulled her into her arms, looking down at her in deep concern. She gently shook the girl hoping to wake her up while gasping at the huge handprints all over her neck. What in the world happened to this poor thing? Luanne asked herself.

"Lilly, sweetie pie, wake up..." She gently whispered, holding the frail girl protectively in her arms. When she saw the blue eyes frantically open, she felt a huge sense of relief...but that faultered as she noticed the extreme fear that Lilly's eyes held. "What happened, honey? Why are there handprints all over your neck? Did you fall down sweetie? How bout we go find Miley? You look like you need a big hug from her." Shocked to see the other violently shake her head at finding Miley, Luanne grew more concerned.

She held the shaking blonde as tight as she could, rocking her softly in doing so. What on earth could be causing Lilly this much pain? The auburn haired girl wondered; could it be the cancer? "You need to talk to me, sweetheart; I need to know what's the matter. Are you sick? You wanna go inside and take some medicine?" The only response she got was more violent shaking and sobs escaping the other's broken body. "Honey, you have to answer me! I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong... You're okay now, Lilly, I promise. You can tell me what happened, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you sweetie."

The blonde shakily lifted her head, staring timidly into Luanne's concerned eyes. She shook her head as tears poured out of her eyes. Had what the man told her been true? Was she not wanted here? "I-I-I-I h-h-have t-t-t-to l-l-l-leave..." She sobbed out, trying to get out from the other's strong arms but was too weak to do so.

Luanne's heart broke at how broken her cousin's friend was, the fear the poor thing felt seemed to consume her. She felt her trying to get out of her arms so she held her tighter, knowing the last thing Lilly needed was to try to get up and cause herself more pain. "You don't have to leave, sweetie. You need to calm down, Lilly, you're really upset. Let me hold you, honey; I won't hurt you, I just want you to calm down. My arms are safe, I promise, I know they're nothing like Miley's but I used them to comfort her when she was upset before." She looked down at the crying girl with compassion, stroking her forehead motherly. "Would you like to go inside and have a nap, sweetheart? You look exhausted, Lilly. Come on, precious one, you'll feel better after a little sleep." She kept her voice soft as she helped the girl to stand up and walk into the house, feeling more concern when she saw how hard it was for her to walk.

Carefully and gently the young adult carried Lilly into the house, hoping to quickly sneak past the kitchen as to not startle her cousin or grandmother. But as she was about to head up the set of stairs, Miley came rushing over. "Lu, have you seen Lilly? It's been a while since she went outside and I'm starting to worry..." The singer's voice filled with concern as she looked into Luanne's ocean blue eyes.

Luanne let a quiet sigh, knowing she couldn't lie to the other...at least not about Lilly. She felt the girl in her arms shake a bit, but she calmed her by stroking forehead softly. Slowly she turned around to face the worried cousin standing at the bottom of the stair case. "I found her lying on the ground at the bottom of the porch...She's really, really upset and scared; she hasn't said much to me so I can't say I know what's wrong. I was just about to bring her up to the bedroom so shLie could rest, I think that's the only thing that'll calm her down right now."

Miley hurriedly made her way up to them, gently taking Lilly from her cousins' arms and cradled her softly in her own. She pressed her lips warmly atop the small girl's head, hoping to comfort her in any way she could, then glanced up at Luanne with a sad yet grateful smile. "Thanks for taking care of her for me, Lu. It means a lot to me that you're a friend to her; Lilly needs all the love and support she can get. Can you go help Mamaw with the rest of the cooking for tonight? Please sweetie? I'm gonna go upstairs and take care of my Lilly." She gently placed a hand on her cousin's shoulder, patting it softly.

"Course' Mile, you go make sure your poor friend's okay. I'll help Mamaw out, that's no problem at all. I hope Lilly tells you what happened, the poor baby's really hurting over it..." She softly whispered to Miley, hoping the ill girl hadn't heard them...The last thing she wanted to do was upset that poor thing even more. Luanne softly wrapped arms around her cousin, squeezing her gently before heading off to help their grandmother.

Miley soothingly lay the frightened girl atop her chest hoping that holding her would stop her from shaking so much. "Shhh, shhh, shhh..." She whispered into the other's ear, hating to see her so upset and broken. "You're okay now, you're safe baby... I'm right here; I'm right here, my sweetie." She pulled the blankets out from underneath them and wrapping them warmly around the two of them. She kept her arms enveloped protectively around her friend, rocking her softly as she whisper comforting words into her ears. "All you need to do, Lilly sweetie, is close your beautiful blue eyes and rest. That's all you have to do. And I'll be right here the whole time, holding you nice and snug in my arms. You don't have to say anything about what happened, you don't have to be scared, all you have to do is rest and let me comfort you. I love you, sweetie pie. I want you to feel better and after you have a good nap, we'll talk. Until then, you just sleep; I'll do the worrying. Sound good, baby girl?"

Lilly weakily nodded, looking up at the brunette with tears in her eyes as she reached down to grab one of her hands. Her eyes started to droop shut as she squeezed Miley's hand in hers. "M-M-Miley..." She choked out inbetween sobs, still worried that she'd been burdening the girl and her family...She wasn't wanted there; they were all lying to her, they didn't want her there with them. Violently shaking her head, the blond bolted out of bed and started to run out of the room as sobs took over her body.

Worried and deeply concerned, Miley rushed out of the room; hoping to catch Lilly before she tried to run down the stairs which would result in her falling. When she finally made it the stairs, she gasped at the sight; nearly falling herself trying to catch her friend before she landed head first on the ground. "Lilly! Baby...what on earth are you thinking?! What's wrong with my Lilly? Huh? Please talk to me, babe; tell me what's upsetting you...I'm right here sweetie, I'm not gonna leave you." She held the girl tight in her arms, making sure there was no way for her to escape them again. She gently made her way into the living room, sitting down with Lilly on her lap. "Talk to me, Lil. Please! I'm really worried about you, sweetie..."

"I-I-I-I n-n-n-n-need t-t-t-to l-l-l-l-leave..." The blonde shook out in heart-wrenching sobs. "N-n-n-n-no o-one w-w-w-wants m-m-me he-he-he-here..."

Miley shook her head angrily, holding her friend closer in her arms. She looked down at the other, sadness seeping through her green eyes as she see the pain her friend held. "You do NOT need to leave, Lilly; you're staying right here. Who the hell said that to you? Who told you that no one wants you here? Who said you need to leave?! And who the hell hurt your neck baby? My god, it looks someone tried to fucking strangle you! Who the hell did this to you?! Who scared my sweetie?!" She tried to keep her rage down, not wanting to upset her poor Lilly anymore but she couldn't fathom how someone could try to bring harm to her precious friend. The singer felt her shake even harder in her arms, knowing it was due to her yelling out of anger towards the person who did this to Lilly. "Oh, honey; I'm not yelling at you! No, baby, I'm just so mad that someone caused you pain! And told you cruel things just to hurt you... Do you know what the person looked like, sweetheart? Was it a man or a woman? What all did this person do to you? What did they say to you, angel? I hope you know no matter what the person said, that none of it's true! I love you so, so much baby girl; and I'm more than happy to have you here with me. You're my angel, you'll always be my angel." She comfortingly pressed her lips atop the frail girl's forehead, holding her close in her arms.


	12. Chapter Twelve

_I'm sorry it took me so long to get this up...I've been busy with classes and work. I did start working on it, but my stupid computer erased the whole thing so I had to re-write. I was really mad and now this chapter is kind of sad. At least in the beginning and stuff. I kind of really bad for what I wrote...but it's my computer's fault. So if you people don't like it, I'm sorry. I can't change what my mind thinks. It just wrote this for me. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this and please, please,** please** review! Two-Three reviews may just help to get a quicker update :) Yeah I know, I'll be lucky to see even one review D: Thanks anyway!_

Chapter Twelve

After hours of calming Lilly down, Miley finally succeeded and was even able to get her to tell her who had hurt her so badly. As soon as she heard the description of the man, the southern girl knew exactly who it had been; it was her Mamaw's neighbor, Travis. That hadn't been much of a surprise to her either as she knew he used to deal drugs to her brother when they still lived there. She also remembered the _huge_ crush he had on her and she realized that, that, must have been his motive in causing so much pain to her dear best friend.

The brunette singer angrily stood in the kitchen watching the door as if she were a hawk. She'd been debating with herself on whether or not she should pay a visit to her grandmother's demented neighbor. The one thing she was sure on, though, was that she would certianly not allow him to get away with what he did to her precious Lilly.

"How's Lilly doin'?" Came her cousin's thick southern accent and a gentle touch to her shoulder. "Is she feelin' better? Do you know what's happened to her, Mile?" Luanne spoke with genuine concern in her tone as she looked into the other's see green, anger-filled eyes.

Miley turned to faced her concerned cousin and let out a sigh. Then she began to wonder if the two of them should go to Travis's house...maybe teach him a lesson. "Lilly's resting right now...poor baby just can't catch a break from pain..." She spoke, feeling the rage inside her rise with every word that came out of her mouth. "Mamaw's little demented neighbor, Travis, is the one who hurt _my_ Lilly. She told me he came over to her, was telling her some really awful things, and then tried to fucking strangle her to death! He almost killed my sweetie! Lu, will you come with me to his house? I'm not going to allow him to get away with what he's done to her. Absolutely no way."

Luanne shook her head sadly as she wrapped her cousin in a comforting emrbace. She knew her cousin always had the urge to seek revenge, but she refused to allow her to go over to their Mamaw's neighbor's house and do something she'd regret. "Mile, darlin', I don't think that'd be a good idea..." She kept her voice gentle, hoping not to anger the singer any more than she already was. "You'd end up doing something stupid if you were to go over now...You're filled with rage, Mile; I don't want you to do anything you'd later on regret. Why don't you go and make sure Lilly's all right, sweetie?"

"Lilly's resting...she'll be okay for a couple minutes." Miley spoke, looking into her cousin's eyes with sincerity. "I'm not gonna kill him, Lu...I'm just gonna throw a few punches and maybe kick him where the sun don't shine... Please come with me; it shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Lilly deserves some justice for what Travis has done to her!"

Against her will, Luanne made the decision to accompany Miley to the neighbor's house. She stood timidly behind the other as they waited for the door to be opened. She never really took a liking to Mamaw's neighbor, Travis, as he always came over trying to get her to go out with him. Not only that but when she had just turned sixteen he had almost raped her. Without even realizing it, her legs started to shake as did her hands.

Miley noticed that and hurriedly wrapped her in a soothing embrace. She stroked her back in a circular motion, concerned to see her cousin so distraught. "What's the matter, sweetheart?" Her voice full of deep concern for the girl who always seemed so strong and optimistic. "Why are you shaking, Lu? We're not going to kill him, honey... We're just going to make him feel the pain he caused my Lilly. You don't even have to do anything. Calm down, love."

Luanne shook her head as she tried to rid the terrifying memory from her mind. The last thing she needed was a reminder of such a horrendous night. "Nothing's the matter, Miles. It's just a bit chilly out here, is all. And I really don't think we should be here...Travis is a dangerous person." She made sure her voice sound as resilent as possible, there was no way she'd have her cousin find out that something hadn't been right with her.

"Luanne, don't lie to me! I know you weren't shaking because it's chilly out here...You were shaking because you're scared...Did Travis do something to you, sweetie? He didn't try to kill you too, did he?! Why is he dangerous, Lu? Tell me what's bothering you!" Miley questioned, wondering what on earth was wrong with the other. She had never seen her so distraught over something and could easily see that she had been trying to cover it up.

The auburn haired cousin looked away, not allowing the other to see her cry. She didn't want to give Miley anymore reason to be angry towards the neighbor. Fortunately before she could respond to the singer's interrogation, the door swung open to reveal a short, husky older woman. Luanne knew the woman to be Travis's mother and unlike him, she was a very pleasent person to be around. She gave a slight smile to the older woman while waving her hand in greeting.

"Oh my, you two sure have grown up... It's good to see you again, Miley! How's California treatin' ya? I assume it must be much warmer down there, seeing as you've really shortened your hair. Looks good." Travis's mother, Rori spoke as she stepped out to the porch. She then motioned for the two to follow her inside as she didn't see the need to stand out in the freezing cold weather.

Miley felt a bit of her rage die down as the woman spoke to them. She remembered his mother always spending time with her when she was a child, especially after the passing of her own mother. There was no reason her to be angry with her; she acted as a second mother to her. "California's great, but I'd much rather be down in here in my hometown. In fact I'm planning to take a break from singing...maybe I'll see if my dad would like to stay down here for a few months." She spoke, before both Luanne and she followed Rori into the house. "Is Travis around?" She finally asked after the three had settled at the kitchen table with a kettle of tea in front of them.

A frown appeared on Rori's face while she went to pour three cups of tea. "You know, I haven't seen him in a few days..." She started, placing a fresh cup in front of both Luanne and Miley. "He's been acting strange recently; Those friends of his are not very good people. They almost got him in trouble with the police just a few weeks ago. Did you need him for something? Is Mamaw re-arranging the horse stables again?"

Shaking her head, Miley took a sip of her tea. She debated with herself on if she should tell the southern mother of the terrible thing her son had done. It'd probably be best if she did, at least one adult should know about the pain her dear friend was caused. "No, Mamaw doesn't need help with anything... But I do need to tell you something about your son." She slowly started, hoping not to cause any anger within the woman sitting across from her. "My friend is staying with us down here for Christmas...both she and her younger sister. Their parents were in a tragic accident and unfortunately didn't make it; so daddy and I are looking after them. Anyway, my friend was sitting outside this morning while I was helping Mamaw in the kitchen...and apparently Travis went over to her and started talking to her. He said some really, really hurtful things to her and then strangled her! He almost killed my best friend! She wouldn't tell me what happened for several hours because of how shaken up she'd been and her poor neck still has his handprints all over it! It filled me with rage to hear what he'd done to her, I wanted to come over here and murder him...but that wouldn't solve anything. I'm still really, very angry with your son and I think you oughta beat some sense into that boy." She spoke, seeing how upset it had made the mother sitting on the other side of the table. She let out a sigh before continuing. "I don't mean to upset you, Miss Brenton, but my best friend already has enough suffering to deal with...she has a really aggressive case of leukemia; she doesn't need to be dealing with an insane neighbor who wants to hurt her."

"Oh, no...I'm not upset with you, Miley...I just, I can't believe my son would be so cruel!" The woman spoke, astonished to hear what awful things her son had been up to. "Ever since his father's passing, he hasn't been the same...It breaks my heart to know that my little boy has turned into such a cold-hearted person. I'm very sorry for what he's done to your friend, Miley... If there's anything I can do to help ya'll out, just let me know."

Early the next morning had Robin busy in the kitchen as she baked pies and stuffed the ham for Christmas Eve's big supper. The room filled with the warm smell of freshly picked apples; something the southern grandmother really favored. Everything about the Christmas season she loved. And as she rumbled about in the kitchen, quiet footsteps made their way over to her. She hadn't even noticed anyone's presence until she heard deep breathing in her ear. Turning around, she was surprised to see her young neighbor standing in front of her.

"Oh good morning, Travis. What brings you over this early?" Robin questioned as she placed two pans into the heated oven. Then she went to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup. "Would you like some coffee?" She asked after she took a sip of her own.

The young man looked over at her with an readable expression as he shook his head in response to her question. Instead he glanced cautiously around the room, searching for any signs of Miley and her little friend. "Oh, no, Mrs. Stewart, I'm good. I just came by to see if Miley and Luanne were around. I thought I'd see if they'd like to come over and visit with my mother." He lied, but fortunately that slid right past Robin as she'd been too busy preparing for the next two days.

Getting back to the raw ham, Robin looked over at the man with a friendly smile. "They're probably upstairs chattering away in Lu's room. Go on up and see em'." She watched as quickly shuffled up the stairs before turning to what she had previously been doing. Quietly, she hummed some Christmas carols as she worked on stuffing the meat.

As he made his way up the stairs and into Luanne's room, an evil glow grew in his eyes. He smirked when he saw the three girls sitting on the bed chatting away about the holidays. Once he was all the way in the room, he slammed the door shut and locked it. He turned face the girls, who had only now realized his presence, while pulling out a gun. "Why good morning, ladies." Travis spoke, evil very relevant in his tone.

Hearing that voice caused Miley to protectively pull Lilly into her arms and held her as tight as she could [without hurting her]. She looked over at the man who hurt her friend with overpowering rage. "Don't you dare come near us. Get the hell outta here!" Her voice seethed as she kept her hold on the blonde and scooted closer to her cousin. The brunette could feel her friend shaking uncontrollably in her arms, so she placed her head gently onto her chest as she stroked soothing circles around her cheeks. "Don't you worry, baby, I'm not going to let you get hurt. You're safe, my Lilly; I'll protect you." She whispered softly into her best friend's ear.

But before they could try to escape, they heard his gun go off and jumped in fear. Miley held the blonde tighter in her arms, feeling her own body shake with fear as Travis pointed his gun towards them. "Why are you doing this, Travis?" Her voice shaking as she looked over at him, sensing the evil in his dark eyes. She tried to keep herself together and strong, as she hadn't want to worry her friend.

"Oh Miley, you sure have grown up...How beautiful and mature you look..." He spoke, peering into her eyes with an evil glint. "I don't see why you'd choose such a failure of a human being as Lilly... She doesn't deserve to have such a beautiful person in her life!" The anger in his voice growing as he stared over into the frightened eyes of Miley's friend. He moved his gun so that it was pointing right at the blonde's head. "Any last words, you little runt?"

Lilly couldn't even find her voice as she shook even harder; she clutched onto Miley as tightly as possible, not wanting to die in such a painful way. Fortunately she felt the singer pull her close, stroking soothing circles onto her back as she rock them back and forth. "Shhhh, I'm not going to let him shoot you. Don't worry, my sweetie." The taller girl softly whispered, pressing a kiss atop her head.

Travis rolled his eyes at the affection the two were sharing and turned to Luanne, who'd been sitting on the other side of the bed, trembling with fear. He smirked evily towards her, knowing how frightened she was of him. "Seems Miley's too busy with her friend, isn't she Luanne? She probably wouldn't even notice if I shot my gun in your head... What do you say? Should I kill you? I think I should." He walked closer to the auburn haired girl, holding his gun to her head. "Hey Miley, why don't you turn your head from your little friend for two seconds and save your cousin? You rather I shoot her over Lilly? Luanne, your own flesh and blood? You sick, sick girl."

Luanne looked up at the man with terror; she could feel the gun sitting on the top of her head. Knowing that he could pull the trigger at any moment, her body shook tremendously; but as she looked over at Lilly, she sighed. She'd rather lose her own life than for Miley to have lose the best thing that's ever happened to her. And besides she knew Lilly deserved to live; that poor girl's had to suffer so much already, why should she have to suffer a gunshot? "Go ahead and kill me, Travis. As long as you leave Miley and Lilly alone." She spoke, the strength in her voice surprising to herself.

But before he could pull the trigger, Lilly weakly scooted over to shield her from the shot and ended up with the bullet flying into her own head. The pain it caused had her screaming piercingly loud, making Travis scurry out of the room and both Miley and Luanne hurried to her side, pulling her into a tight embrace. They cried with her as they held her close, trying so desperately to comfort her from the extreme pain.

"L-Lu c-can you stay here and keep Lilly calm? I'm gonna go get daddy and Mamaw, and have them call the police..." Miley's voice cracking, as she pressed loving kisses to the blonde's bleeding head. "I'll be right back, Lilly love, okay? You just stay calm sweetie; Luanne's gonna take care of you for me. You're going to be fine, my sweet angel!" After embracing her one last time, the brunette hurriedly ran down the stairs.

The auburn-haired cousin peered down at Lilly with empathy and compassion; she couldn't believe the girl had just saved her life. "Oh Lilly..." She whispered soothingly, rocking her softly while hoping to help ease some of her pain. "That was supposed to be me who got shot...but you saved my life. Lilly, darlin', you already have so much suffering you have to deal with and now you have even more...you poor, poor baby!"

Hours later, at the hospital, had the Stewart family sitting in the waiting room as they waited for news of Lilly's condition. She been rushed into surgery as soon as they had brought her here and they hadn't seen her since. Miley sat inbetween her cousin and Rose, who had her head down while tears streamed down her cheeks. "Rose, are you okay? Would you like a hug, sweetie?" The brunette asked softly as she peered over at her with empathy.

Rose slowly lifted her head to look at her sister's friend; her eyes were red and puffy from crying. "I hate that my sister always has something horrible to deal with..." She cried out as she felt Miley pulls her onto her lap. "It's not fair; Lilly doesn't deserve to have anymore pain! She's the most selfless and caring human being in the world... Why does she have to suffer?"

Miley felt her heart brake for sobbing girl while she held her close in her strong arms. But she was right; Lilly did not deserve to deal with anymore pain, the poor thing nearly sacrificed her own life to save Luanne. "I know, sweetie, I know. It's not fair. Lilly is a sweet, sweet angel; she doesn't deserve to have to suffer anymore... But there's nothing we can do, except to wait and see. I know she will be okay; she's a strong girl, a very strong girl." She spoke gently to the upset child, stroking a hand through her dark hair. "And you are a strong girl as well honey. You've had a lot to deal with too, Rose. If you ever need somebody to talk to, aside from your sister, you can surely come to me. Okay, sweetie?" When she got a tired nod in response, the singer gently laid Rose's head onto her chest while caressing her cheeks comfortingly. "Go ahead and rest, Rose. Hopefully when you wake up, Lilly will be out of surgery. Don't worry about that right now, though, you just get some sleep sweetie pie."

A whee bit later had a doctor, finally, walk out and over to the waiting family. His face expressionless as he confronted the worried family. "We've finished the operation." He blankly stated, looking down at the charts he held in his hands."But there was a substantial amount of blood loss, so we do need to perform a blood transfusion. If anyone would like to donate some blood for her, we would appreciate that as we don't have enough to give her."

Luanne quickly walked over to him, knowing that she must give some of her blood to the girl; as Lilly had saved her life, it was the least she could do for her. "I'd be willing to give her some blood, doctor." She spoke quietly, looking up at the man with sincerity in her eyes. She still felt terrible for what her cousin's friend had to go through and knew it was her own fault. And she would do anything to help the poor girl feel better; it'd hadn't been often that someone had nearly sacrificed her life for her.

"All right, just follow the nurse and she'll show you where to go." He spoke, watching as the southern girl walked away with the nurse. He then turned to the rest of the family, his expression barely readable. "We also found cancer cells lurking throughout her body... I mean it was _everywhere_! Does she have any form of cancer that ya'll know about? Because she's gonna need extensive treatment to even try to reduce some of those cells. And she's also going to have complications from the bullet that was inside of her head... Might I add, we also found a significantly sized tumor in there as well. We are running tests to see exactly what form of cancer she has, but it seems she's already known about it for a while. So whatever ya'll know on her condition will help us all the more on what treatment to give her."

Mr. Stewart stood up from his seat, walking towards the doctor with concern and worry written on his face. Hearing that his daughter's poor friend had even more upsetting things to deal with just shattered his heart. Watching the young girl suffer through so much, Robbie wished there was something, _anything_, he could do to make her pain go away. Fortunately he knew his own little girl would be there for Lilly and he knew that the two loved each other more than anything. Maybe, possibly, Miley's love for her might be the answer to her healing.

He looked up at the doctor, who seemed frantic for answers. "Lilly has leukemia, she's had it for a little over decade now. She's been recieving chemotherapy and radiation therapy for the past month now, but her doctor allowed her to come down here to Tenessee for the holidays. We have her on oxygen at night, to help her breathe better. He said she'd be okay for a few weeks without treatment..." He spoke, but from hearing the doctor's frantic questioning, he began to wonder if maybe Lilly's doctor back home had been lying to them about the seriousness of her disease.

"What type of leukemia does she have? We need to know or else we won't be able to treat her." The doctor shook his head, astonished that Lilly's previous doctor would allow her to go several weeks without treatment...With a serious form of cancer, one should never stop treatment in the middle of it. "From what we could see, it looks like the cancer's spread even more... Stopping her treatment was a terrible decision on her doctor's behalf. This is really serious, I mean if we don't find out exactly what form of leukemia she has, she will most certainly die. And until we can find that out, Lilly is not allowed any visitors. One of our nurses will be back to talk to ya'll in a bit." With that the doctor hurried back to the testing lab, knowing he had to quickly find out her diagnosis.

It was late in the evening when Lilly'd finally been allowed visitors. And Miley happily took the opportunity as she swiftly walked down the hall to her room. But when she saw the condition her dear friend was in, her heart broke. Tubes surrounded the girl's entire body, a breathing tube down her throat, oxygen attached to her nose, and an IV on either side of her. Softly, the singer made her way over to her and pressed a soothing kiss to her forehead. "Lilly, sweetie, are you awake?" She asked gently, silently praying that her friend couldn't feel the pain she was most definitely in.

Lilly weakly opened her eyes, but could barely make out the other's face as her vision was fuzzy due to all the medications she was on. She felt something trapped in her throat, causing her severe pain, yet wasn't able to voice her concern as her mouth had been too dry to open. So instead of talking, she pointed down to her neck and let tears pour out of her eyes.

The brunette gently wrapped her arms around her friend's body, hoping to bring at least some comfort to her. "I know your throat is probably hurting...You have a breathing tube down there, sweetheart. Don't even try to talk, my love, it won't do you any good." Miley spoke in a soft, calming voice as she pressed a warm kiss to the other's cheek. She loathed that the girl had to suffer even more, she didn't deserve to. "I love you more than anything in the world, my beautiful Lilly. And it pains me so deeply to see you suffer... I wish I could take all the suffering away from you, angel; you don't deserve it. If there's anything I can do to bring you any sort of comfort, you just tell me. I don't care what it is, baby doll, I'm here for you and I want to take care of you."

"M-Miley..." The smaller girl quietly whispered, in obvious pain, but placed a sad smile on her face. "I love you." She weakly reached up to stroke Miley's cheek, overly touched to know that her friend cared so much about her. It meant more than anyone would ever know and she would always love her for it. "D-d-did you or Luanne get hurt?" Her voice barely above a whisper as her eyes filled with deep concern at the memory of what had happened only hours ago.

Miley felt her heart swarm with butterflies at Lilly's gentle touch on her cheek, and seeing a smile on her face even through all the pain she was going through made the singer feel a warm, fuzzy sensation tingle through her body. Her friend had certainly been the strongest person she had and would ever meet. "You're precious, Lilly, so precious. I love you too, babe...and I will forever." She spoke warmly to her, laying Lilly's hand softly onto her chest. And again, she felt her heart melt at the blonde's complete selflessness. "Oh, sweetie, Luanne and I are perfectly fine... You saved Lu's life and she is so grateful to you. You're an angel, Lilly, an absolute angel. You are the sweetest, precious girl in the world, Lilly; I'm so thankful you're in my life. I love you so much, darlin'." She spoke, stroking gentle circles around the other's back.

Around midnight, Lilly felt an extravagant amount of pain shooting through her head but tried to ignore it as she hadn't want to awaken her best friend, who she knew needed the rest since she had probably been stressed out from all the worrying. She looked across from her to see Miley sound asleep in the chair, gripping her hand tightly in her own. A gloomfull smile made it's way to the ill girl's face, knowing her friend hadn't want to leave her side. "Oh Miley..." The blonde whispered sadly to herself, hating that her best friend had to be burdened with her. She wondered if the other had missed her singing career at all...it had been something that had come so natural to her.

As the pain grew worse, it became harder for Lilly to ignore it but she reminded herself that she didn't want to worry her poor friend. The girl who already spent too much time worrying about her. Why should she cause her any more stress? But before she could think any further, the pain became too much for her to handle and reflexively she began to scream.

Miley awoke to the sound of piercing screaming, which caused her to run over to her best friend. She carefully pulled the distraught girl into her arms while cradling her softly. "Shhhh, shhhh. You're okay, my sweetie; I've got ya." She spoke gently to her, pressing her lips warmly atop her head. The screaming died down a little, but she could sense her friend had still been in a considerable amount of pain so she decided to rock her. "Shhhh. Relax, baby girl, it's gonna be okay. Lay your head on my chest, Lilly, and close your eyes. Just focus on the sound of my heart-beat. Don't think about the pain, sweetie. Think about something that makes you happy...in a few days it'll be Christmas Eve and the house will smell of apple pies and pumpkin spice...And Mamaw will be busy in the kitchen making sure everything's just so. Daddy and uncle Earl will be putting the finishing touches on the Christmas tree, which of course smells of fresh pine. One of your favorite Christmas smells. Rose will be running around the house with little Mimi while you happily watch her as I hold you on my lap, by the fireplace. Oh and Luanne will be busy doing her chores, refusing any of our help because of her stubbornness." Miley could feel Lilly's breathing settle and knew that she had fallen asleep. So gently, she lay down on the bed, holding her friend close to her while she wrap the blanket softly around them. "Sleep well, my sweetheart. I love you, dearly." She whispered, kissing her head tenderly.

Christmas Eve had been just two days away, and the doctor finally allowed Lilly home, on the condition that she must use her oxygen at all times and she must be on her chemotherapy. He had placed a PICC line in her hand so that they could easily give her the medication when at home. That way she would be able to spend her Christmas at the house rather than being stuck in the hospital once again.

Robin hummed happily as she rumbled out about in the kitchen, preparing pies and baking cookies. She loved the warming smell of apples and pumpkin that filled the room. One of her favorite things to for Christmas was to bake the delicious pies for everyone and fortunately she had her young granddaughter in there helping her with them. She looked over at Millie, a loving smile on her face. "Why don't you go and see if Rose would like to come help with the cookies? The two of you seem to get along quite well." She mentioned, continuing to tend to the pies.

Millie happily skipped into the living room, running over to Rose. She noticed the older girl sitting beside her, whom she assumed must be her older sister and grinned. "Rose! Mamaw wants you to come help us with the cookies! What do you say? It'll be fun." The young red-head child spoke, enthusiasm clearly evident in her voice as she pulled the other from her seat.

"I'd love to, Millie. That sounds like fun." Rose spoke, smiling at the thought of helping to bake cookies. Something she barely got to do as a child due to her sister's illness causing their Christmas to spent in the hospital. Though she never blamed it on her sister as she knew it wasn't her fault for being terribly ill.

The child shook her head as she started pulling her into the kitchen with her. "Rose, we're bestest friends now! Call me Mimi like everyone else; that's what best friends do. And I'll call you...Ro-ro!" She spoke cheerfully, dragging her along as she ran off to the kitchen. "We're gonna have so much fun with Mamaw, she always lets us lick the bowl when we're done."

While the two youngsters were busy helping in the kitchen, Lilly couldn't help but smile as she sat on Miley's lap. She felt so happy to see her sister with such a good friend. Something the child had such a hard time with back in their home state. "It's so adorable to see how friendly the two girls are. Rose seems to really enjoy hanging around with your little cousin. I think it's good for them." Lilly said, her cheerfulness shinning through her voice.

"Millie's always been around boys, so she'll jump on it when there's a girl around...especially when she's around the same age as herself. And I absolutely think it's adorable to see their friendship, so innoccent and pure. I think it'll do the both of them a whole lotta' good." Miley spoke genlty, pressing a soft kiss to the blonde's head. She loved to see the friendship of young children, it always made her melt. And she knew how happy it made Lilly to see her sister finally warming up to their family.

Lilly nodded her head in agreement as she snuggled closer into her friend's loving arms. She felt herself becoming more and more drowsy with every thought, looking up at the singer with a sad smile. "Rosie deserves to have a best friend; and I think being down here is really helping her. I think this might be one of her first Christmas's not spent in the hospital... Thanks to you and your father; I can never repay you two enough for that." She spoke softly, pressing a gentle kiss to Miley's cheek.

Miley held the blonde's head in her hands, stroking each of her cheeks tenderly. She then kissed her lips lovingly as a smile formed on her face. "Baby girl, you already did repay us; you saved my cousin's life. You've done more than repay us and I will always, always be grateful to you for what you've done for Luanne. You are my angel, Lilly." She whispered softly, leaning their foreheads together as she caressed the smaller girl's head. "You're so beautiful sweetie pie, inside and outside. I love you so much, my precious angel."


	13. Chapter Thirteen

_So yeah here is Chapter thirteen... Uhm I spent a good amount of time on it and I would appreciate a few reviews on this chapter. About two or three would be good, you know, just give me a little bit of encouragement to continue writing this story. Plus, you know, I like feedback. See how everyone is liking this. Christmas is coming, next chapter. :O Lol, and coincidentally, it is only about a month and half away so that's cool. Maybe I'll wait until then to update again. Let me know in the review section what you think! :D Thanks!_

Chapter Thirteen

The next morning, Miley found herself sitting in the kitchen with her father as the two talked over a cup of coffee. That had been one of her favorite things to do with her father when she was younger. She looked over at him with a cheerful grin, "I love you, daddy." The singer reached forward to give him a loving embrace. After getting a hug in return, she proceeded to take a sip of her warm beverage.

"I need your help, dad; I don't know what I should get for my sweet Lilly..." Miley said, once again having to do last minute Christmas shopping. She always put off her shopping until just days before the sacred holiday. "Christmas is only, what, a day away? And as usual, I've still to do my shopping. I want to get Lilly something special and something she'll love, but I just can't think of anything. Would you mind coming with me to the shops downtown? Please, daddy?" She batted her eyelashes at him, as she knew he couldn't resist that.

Robbie shook his head with a smile; he couldn't say no to such an innocent face. He reached for his mug, taking a sip, and then smiled over at his daughter. "Sure thing, bud. Lemme just finish my coffee and shower off." The southern man spoke before placing his mug in the sink then heading upstairs to take a shower.

The singer sat and enjoyed the rest of her coffee in silence as she thought of what to get for her best friend. She thought of how much Lilly loved Christmas and how she loved to help her mother decorate their tree when she was younger. And that's when Miley realized what would be the perfect present for the young woman she loved: An Angel Christmas ornament. A great memory of the blonde's mother, and something that would remind her of the beautiful holiday; all of which she loved.

Miley stood in the doorway of the room she'd been sharing with her cousin and Lilly, observing her friend closely. The girl looked so beautiful when she slept; her face glowing as that of an angel's. She slowly made her way into the room, over to the bed her friend slept in, and stroked her forehead tenderly. "Rise and shine, my love." The singer spoke warmly, gently shaking her to wake her up.

Lilly slowly opened her eyes, squinting at the bright sunlight pouring over her. She turned her head to look up at the other while a smile formed on her face. "Morning, Miley." She whispered softly, sitting up and pulling off the covers. The blonde slowly stretched her arms, trying to awaken the rest of her body.

"Did ya sleep well, sweetie pie?" The brunette softly asked, smiling down at Lilly. "You look a lot better today, my angel. So good to see a beautiful smile on your face. Let's go downstairs and get you a nice cup of coffee; it'll give you some energy Lilly, darling." Miley carefully helped the girl out of bed, wrapped her arms around her, and carried her down the stairs.

She gently placed her friend in a chair, pressing a loving kiss to the top of her head. "I love you so much, baby girl." A smile spread on her face as she peered into the other's eyes. More than anything was she blessed to have such a beautiful person in her life. She quickly went over to the coffee pot while starting a fresh brew.

Lilly sat silently in her chair, observing Miley's every move. She knew she had to get her the perfect gift for Christmas, but she didn't know what that gift would be. "I love you too, Miley," her reply came moments later as she beamed over at the person she loved more than anyone in the world. The person she wished she knew what to get for Christmas.

Miley smiled back as she brought over their mugs of steaming coffee. She sat down beside her friend, patting her head tenderly in the process. "I know you do, sweetie." The singer spoke warmly, sipping her delightful drink. "How are you feeling today? And be honest, my love, I know for a fact that you're not 100% okay...you won't be for a long while, but that's okay. You're allowed to feel sick, Lilly; you're fighting a horrible disease." She was firm with her words as she knew the other always tried to cover up how she truly felt.

"I feel decent." Lilly whispered back, her lips unnoticably chattering when she went to take a gulp of her coffee. In all honesty, she hadn't felt any better than when she left the hospital, but she wasn't going to make her friend have to worry about that. At least not until the holiday was over.

It had been late in the afternoon when Luanne had come in from doing her chores. She was looking forward to jumping in the shower and cleaning off after a morning of hard-work, but her plans changed when she'd seen a very distraught Rose come running over to her. Her eyes filled with a deep, overpowering concern as she pulled the child into her arms. "Sweetie, what's the matter?" She questioned softly, stroking her hair comfortingly.

Rose was upstairs trying to wake her sister up, but the girl wouldn't budge. She panicked when she felt that her sister's body had been so cold, so she ran down stairs to get an adult. "L-L-Lilly w-w-won't w-w-wake up! And she feels so cold!" Her voice trembeled with sobs as she held onto the southern woman with all her strength.

"Shhh, calm down...calm down, little one. We'll go up and see what's wrong with her." Luanne spoke, keeping her tone soothing in the hopes of comforting the upset child. "Shhhh, shhhh. Everything's gonna be okay, sugar." The auburn haired woman gently carried her up the stairs and into her room where Lilly slept motionless in the bed.

She set Rose down before quickly walking over to the ill girl's bedside. Carefully, she shook Lilly's body and shivered at the feel of her cold skin. "Lilly, wake up. Come on sweetheart; ya gotta wake up." Her calm, southern voice spoke while she continued to shake her. When she saw the blue eyes barely peep out from the other's eyelids', Luanne felt a sense of relief and pulled her into her arms. "Good girl. You gave little Rose and I a good scare there, sweet pea," she said, wrapping a blanket around her as she held her close. "Are you okay, darlin'?"

Lilly looked up into the concerned eyes watching over her with weakness. She could feel a dull, lurking pain in her eyes which made it harder for her to keep them open. "I was just resting. I'm a deep sleeper, I guess." She said, her voice barely above a whisper. She turned her head to search for her sister and sighed at how upset she seemed. "Rosie, please don't be sad; I'm fine, I promise sweetie." The blonde held her arms out for her sister, pulling her in for a tight embrace as she kissed her cheek lovingly.

Held securely in her sister's arms, Rose squeezed her own arms around the other's neck. "I don't want you to be sick anymore, Lilly! I don't want you to die!" Tears poured out of her eyes while she held onto her sister for dear life. She hated every minute of watching the older girl suffer; it made her heart ache with sorrow. "Y-y-you're g-gonna get better...r-r-right L-Lil?"

Smiling sadly at her, Lilly pressed a kiss to her head. "Of course I'm gonna get better. I promise sweetie, I'm not going to leave you. Now please stop crying. Everything's gonna be fine, Rosie." She spoke gently to the younger girl, holding her close in her arms. Although most of what she was saying was a lie, she knew that's what her sister needed to hear. The last thing she wanted to do was to upset the poor child. "I love you more than anything in the world, Rosie, sweetheart."

About an hour later had Miley and her father finally arrive back from their trip into town. Miley carried a beautifully-wrapped gift in her hand, very pleased with what she found for her beloved best friend. It took the two of them a good few hours to finally find the perfect present but it was all worth it because she knew Lilly would love it. She quickly walked into the living room and placed the present carefully under the Christmas tree.

She then took off her coat, hanging it in the closet. Once out of her wet and snowy coat, Miley decided to sit down on the couch to enjoy the warmth of the fireplace. She smiled faintly to herself, happy to be in her childhood home and away from the snobbyness of California. Sure she enjoyed living near a beach and being able to wear her summer clothing all the time, but that wasn't where she belonged... That wasn't her home. Her home was there in good ol' Tenessee.

"Hey, Miles." A voice came from beside her, "Where were you and Uncle Robbie at?" When Miley turned to her left, she saw her identical cousin sitting there and a soft smile formed on her face.

Miley smiled softly at her cousin, not a bit surprised to see that she had just randomly appeared beside her. "I needed to get some last minute presents. And needed daddy's opinions." She said, looking over at her cousin with a glow in her eyes. "How's my sweet Lilly doing? She okay? You taking care of her for me, Lu?"

Luanne nodded over at her, placing her hand gently on the other's and stroked it comfortingly. She gave her a look of sympathy as she softly pulled her into an embrace. "Mile, I don't think she's doing too well... She looks so pale and she shakes so much, the poor baby can barely talk above a whisper. Even Rose thinks something's wrong with her...she came running down here, eyes watering like a waterfall, and was saying she couldn't wake Lilly up!" She kept her voice calm for her cousin, hoping not to upset her too much. But, truth be told, she didn't think Miley's friend had much longer to live. "Lilly's probably not going to live much longer, Miley, darlin'... She was pretty ill before getting shot, but now she's even worse. She's suffering so much, and she's not letting you see that because she doesn't want you to worry."

"She's _not_ dying, Luanne! Don't you dare say that!" Miley hissed, tears forming in her eyes. The last thing she wanted was to lose the most amazing person she ever met and loved. Especially right now; tomorrow was Christmas for crying out loud! Lilly couldn't die on Christmas! That poor girl didn't deserve to die or go through such pain with a nasty disease. "My sweet Lilly is not going to die. She has too much to live for! Her mother won't let her die; she won't let God take her away from us."

The auburn haired girl felt her heart break for the pain her cousin must have been feeling. She's already gone through the loss of her mother and now she might be facing the loss of the woman she loved more than anything. Luanne sighed softly, holding the other close in her arms while kissing her forehead motherly. "Miley, sweetie, she's really sick...and if her treatment doesn't help her there's not much more we can do for her... We can pray for her and give her all the love and support she needs but we can't control if she lives or dies. Just let her know how much you love her and that you'll always be there for her. It'll be okay, Mile, I promise." She whispered softly to her, stroking her hair lovingly as she stared blankly ahead at the fireplace.

Miley smiled softly down at the woman she loved, who slept peacefully in the bed. She ran her hand gently across her forehead, in a circular motion. "I love you so much, my beautiful Lilly." Her voice whispered, not wanting to wake her ill friend up. There was nothing she loved more than watching such a beautiful person sleep so peacefully. She countinued rubbing soothing circles around the other's head and pressed a kiss to her forehead in the midst.

Lilly's eyes slowly fluttered open, staring up at the other's cheerful ones. She couldn't help but let a smile grow on her face as there was nothing she loved more than to see the angelic face of the woman she adored. "I'm so glad you're back, Miley; I missed you." The blonde spoke quietly, smiling lovingly up at her best friend. She gently reached over to take a hold of one of Miley's hands, stroking it comfortingly with her thumb.

"Awwww, how sweet! I missed ya too, baby doll," Miley cooed, pressing a loving kiss to the other's cheek while pulling her into her arms. She lightly swayed back and forth as she held her friend, concerned for her after the conversation she and her cousin had. "Are you feeling okay, sweetie? Lu told me you gave her and your sister quite a scare earlier... What's going on, my love?" She asked soothingly, hoping to get a straight answer out of the girl.

Sighing sadly, the blonde looked away. She really wish the singer's cousin hadn't mentioned that tiny detail to her. The last thing she wanted was to watch her friend worry even more about her. "I'm fine, Miles; please don't worry about me... I was just sleeping, I'm a deep sleeper." Lilly peered up into the other's worried eyes, placing her hand on one of her cheeks and pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "I'm okay, Miley; I promise," she smiled lovingly up at her, "And I love you so much."

Miley couldn't help but squeeze the girl lovingly in her arms. She cupped her head softly in her hands, caressing her cheeks tenderly. "You're too sweet, my Lilly. You're just _too_ sweet!" Her voice was soft as she pulled the other closer in her arms and pressed their lips together in a warm kiss. "You're so beautiful, Lilly; such a beautiful and precious person you are. I'm so glad you're in my life, sweetie, and I'm always, _always_ gonna be right here to love and cherrish you. And to hold you; and to give you all the most loving kisses in the world. I love you _so_, _so_, **so** much; my sweet, precious angel!" The singer spoke gently into Lilly's ear, pressing soft kisses to her bare head.

Lilly beamed ecstatically up at Miley, snuggling closer into her arms and reaching up to place a tender kiss to her lips. She couldn't believe how lucky she was to have met the woman of her dreams and that the other had felt the same way about her. For once she had something to live for and be happy about. "You're the most wonderful person I have ever met, Miley, and I am so happy that we're soulmates! I've never been in love before or had anyone love me, so this is the most amazing feeling in the world to me! I love you so much, Miley; I never want to be away from you..." She said, with much emotion evident in her voice. Then she looked down, realizing that one day she would be away from the one she loved...She would be dead and Miley would be left here without her. Soon tears rolled down her pale cheeks as she couldn't bare to look back at the other.

"Lilly...Lilly, sweetie," Miley whispered softly, trying to turn the blonde toward her so she could look her in the eyes. "Look at me, sweetheart... Please, Lil, let me look at your beautiful face so I can wipe your tears away." The singer sighed as she firmly turned Lilly around, pulling her back into a strong embrace. She peered into the sad blue eyes with compassion and empathy as she tenderly wiped the tears from her cheeks. "What's making my sweetie cry? Huh?"

The smaller girl shook her head as she continued to let tears flow from her eyes. Why did she have to have cancer? Why did she have to fall in love with the most amazing woman ever and then soon leave her? So many frustrating questions ran through her mind as she cried softly. There was nothing she hated more than ruining such a cheerful moment with the singer she loved so dearly with her annoying emotions. "I don't want to die, Miley," she whispered tearfully, after moments of silence, "I finally have something to live for and something that makes me so happy... You're my soulmate, Miley, and all I want is to be with you forever! And I can't... I can't, because I'll probably be dead by the end of this year... Why is life so unfair? Why am I not allowed to live and be happy? It's not fair, Miley; It's just not fair! I've fought so hard to be alive...and what do I get in return? Death! I get to die after all the disgusting treatment I've had to endure! After all the pain and suffering and torment I've dealt with, my reward is death. Yeah, that seems pretty fair to me. And to make it worse, God gives me the most angelic gift in the world and then he's gonna take me away from it! Life sucks. Life just absolutely sucks, and it's evil." Lilly's cries slowly turned into anger as she stood up from the bed and started pacing the room.

Miley felt her heart shatter into billions of pieces when she heard the devastating pain in her best friend's voice. She gently got up, herself, and walked over to Lilly. Her arms slowly wrapped around her, pulling her into her arms as close as she could get her. "Shhhh, it's okay, baby girl; It's okay." She whispered lovingly into her ear, rocking her softly back and forth. "I know it's not fair, Lilly! You've gone through way too much for a girl your age...You don't deserve this pain, angel. You don't deserve any of the pain you've had to deal with! But you're not going to die, Lilly! You're not, because I refuse to let you. I love you too much to let you be taken away from me! You're my angel, Lilly; **No one** is taking you away from me. I'll put up a fight if I have to! You've fought way too hard to have to die, Lilly. You're a tough, tough girl and I will be damned if God takes you away. That's just evil to do such a thing to you! You don't deserve to die, and you won't die because I'm not letting you. I love you more than anyone and anything, sweetheart; and I will continue to love you for eternity." She spoke sternly, but lovingly to the distraught girl in her arms while pressing a soothing kiss to her head. "Let's go downstairs, sweetie, let's get you outta here and make those depressing thoughts disappear from your precious head. I don't want to see my darlin' upset anymore today." She squeezed the girl close to her chest, before carrying her downstairs.

Hours later and it was time for the big Christmas Eve dinner. Robin raced around the kitchen making sure to get everything out of the ovens and into the dining room. She had Millie and Rose bring out the trays of cookies, telling them to place them in the middle of the table. Once the table was set, she had everyone go in and pick their seats. They all piled their plates on with delicious food that Mamaw had spent the past week preparing and happily joined her in prayer.

Miley sat inbetween her cousin and Lilly, keeping her eye closely on the blonde to make sure she ate a decent amount of her meal. She knew Lilly couldn't eat as much as the rest of them, but she still didn't want her to not eat enough. "Enjoyin' your food, Lil?" She asked softly, smiling lovingly at her as she took a hold of one of her hands.

Lilly definitely loved the food the southern girl's Mamaw had prepared for them but could barely finish a fourth of it because of how full she felt. "It's fantastic; Your Mamaw is a great cook." She smiled, forcing another forkful in her mouth to prove to Miley that she was able to eat it. Though she knew she'd eventually regret trying to finish off her plate.

"Are you feelin' better, Lilly?" Luanne asked, looking over at her with genuine concern. "You look a lot better, sweet pea." She smiled kindly at her, noticing a bit more color in her face. It surprised her to see that after just a couple of hours, but she knew Miley had a strong bond with her and that was probably what had Lilly feeling so much better.

The shorter girl nodded profusely as she went to take a sip of her fizzy soda. She then turned to face the auburn haired cousin and let another tiny smile form on her face. "I feel much better, Luanne; thanks to your amazing cousin. Her cheerfulness always rubs off on me." She spoke softly, feeling Miley's arms wrap lovingly around her. More than anything, Lilly was very grateful to have the singer in her life. She always put her in a better mood and helped her through her upsetting thoughts.

Miley pulled the other out of her seat and over onto her lap. She peered down into the blonde's blue eyes with compassion, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. No one could ask for a better person to love than her beautiful Lilly. "Awww, how sweet you are Lilly! I'll always be here to cheer you up, my darling angel." She spoke warmly to her, holding her protectively in her arms as she stroked her back in soothing circles. "Lilly, lovey, would you be okay if I told my family that I love you?"

"Will they be okay with that, Miley? I mean...it's not very often that two girls' are so in love with each other." Lilly asked, her voice a bit panicky at the thought of Miley's telling her big ole' family. She worried that they wouldn't be accepting of it and might say hurtful things to them. But the brunette squeezed her in reassurement, pressing another kiss to her head.

She looked lovingly down at Lilly, beaming at her with happiness. "Sweetie pie, I don't care if they don't accept it; you're my soulmate. And I want everyone to know that...besides my daddy already knows and he's beyond happy for us. He's the one who helped me realize exaclty how I feel about you. If you're scared they're gonna treat you different or upset you, don't be! You know I'm not going to let anyone hurt you! You're my sweetheart, Lilly; no one's gonna upset my sweetheart. Believe me they know _not_ to mess with anyone I love." Miley smiled, holding her tighter and closer as she peer into her blue eyes.

The singer looked around at all her relatives who dug into their hearty meals and cleared her throat obnoxiously loud to get their attention. She felt Lilly's body tense in her arms causing her to hold her tighter and closer to her chest. She then stared at all her attentive relatives as a smile grew on her face. "Well you all have met my beautiful best friend, Lilly. And ya'll know she means more than anything to me." She spoke softly, seeing everyone nod their heads in agreement to her statements. "I have some good news I'd like to share with ya'll... Lilly and I are in love! And don't any of you think that I won't come after you if I see that you do anything to make my sweetheart feel bad about this. Who cares if we're both girls? We love each other and have never felt happier with anyone as we do each other. Lilly is the sweetest and most precious person I've ever met; I love her with every bone in my body! And I wanted you all to know that because you're my family and I love you...and I want you all to love my sweet Lilly as well. She's a sweetie and deserves to be here with us. Please don't make her feel bad, okay? Because I will make anyone's life miserable if I find out one of you has upset her!" She spoke strongly, her voice firm as a button. She then smiled gently down at the shaking girl in her arms, rocking her softly. "Awww honey, don't shake! Don't be scared sweetie, no one's gonna say anything to you. Don't you worry about that."

Miley held her soulmate strongly in her arms as she peered around the table to see that most of her relatives were happy for them and congratulating them...all except her Mamaw and a few of her older aunts and uncles. She was shocked to see that her Mamaw didn't seem too happy about it...Out of all of her relatives, her Mamaw was the least of her worries. But the look on her grandmother's face about ripped her heart out. She didn't let any emotions out though as she knew she couldn't upset the girl in her arms.

"Oh Miley...Miley, Miley, Miley," Mamaw began, a deep disapproving look on her face as she stared over at the girls'. How could this be possible? She asked herself. How could her own granddaughter be in love with another woman? "Miley...That's just...that's not right. You know loving another woman is wrong... I mean, you can love her as a sister or a best friend but not as a lover. That's just wrong! Are you sure this isn't just a phase, darlin'? You can't possibly be in love with her, there's no way. You're not gay, Miley Ray!" The hurt in her voice was obvious as she spoke to her granddaughter, then glared over at Lilly with disgust. "You little twat, you used your disease as bait to make my granddaughter feel sorry for you, didn't you? You've turned her gay! I can't believe I welcomed you into my home and let you stay under this roof! You're sick, mentally! Get outta here! I don't want you in this house any longer... God I can't bare to look at you anymore; how could you do this to our little Miley Ray?! LEAVE!" She shouted, getting up from her own chair and angrily walking over to where the two girls' sat. She forcefully took Lilly out of Miley's arms and brought her to the kitchen door, ready to throw her outside.

Miley ran over to them, her own rage firing up inside of her as she brought the shaking Lilly into her strong arms, rocking her softly as she glared at her grandmother. She couldn't believe what nerve the southern woman had to say such nasty and hurtful things about her beloved angel. "How dare you speak like that to Lilly! How dare you, Mamaw! That was unbelievably, outright nasty of you! Lilly is fucking dying of cancer and you have the goddamned nerve to tell her that she's using her disease to get attention!? What the fucking hell's the matter with you? You know damn well she is not doing that; Lilly has the most angelic and sweetest heart in the world! She is the most selfless human being there is and you're gonna kick her out? She's sick as a dog, there's no fucking way in hell I will let you throw her out in the freezing cold!" She shook her head furiously, placing Lilly's head onto her chest and hoping she couldn't hear anything. "You can not accept our love for each other all you want, Mamaw, but don't you dare take it out on my sweet Lilly. She didn't do a damn thing wrong; I chose to fall in love with her and I will love her forever because she is my soulmate. I don't care what any of you say or think; it's not gonna change a damn thing. I think I'm gonna go out and get some fresh air, I'll take my Lilly with me so she doesn't have to deal with your wrath. And when I come back, you better have a huge apology for her." She hissed, making her way outside with Lilly in her arms and slammed the door loudly behind her.

The singer softly sat down near the waterfall, placing Lilly on her lap and looked down at her with love in her eyes. "Everything's gonna be okay, baby girl. Don't worry about a thing." She whispered soothingly to her as she cradled her tight in her arms. "I'm sure Mamaw's just shocked and confused, she's always been real religious. She didn't mean a word she said, Lilly lovey. We just gotta give her some time to calm down. And no matter what, I'm always gonna love you. Don't ever, ever doubt that!" Miley spoke, cupping Lilly's tearful head in her hands and pressing a tender kiss to her lips. "Awww honey, please don't cry! I promise you that everything is gonna be fine and it will work out."

Lilly let tears stream down her face as she held onto Miley for dear life. She couldn't believe the hurtful words the other's grandmother had said to her. But maybe they were true... What if she did turn Miley gay? What if her own parents were disgusted with her for being in love with Miley? Her body began to shake even more as sobs escaped her. "M-M-Miley..." She choked out as she continued to cry hysterically.

"Sweetie, it's okay! It's gonna be okay!" Miley spoke, trying so hard to comfort her. She loathed seeing the woman she loved so distraught. And she was livid with her Mamaw for being the cause of this. "Lilly, baby, I promise you it's all gonna be okay. Please try to calm down, you're gonna hurt yourself with all this crying... Lay your head on my chest, sweetheart. And just focus on the sound of my heart-beat, close your eyes darlin'. Come on, sweetie, it'll make you feel better. She soothed, wrapping her arms strongly around her as she let Lilly's head rest atop her chest. She gently caressed Lilly's cheeks, pressing warm kisses to her head. "Good girl, stay calm. I love you so much, my angel."

The blonde still had tears running down her cheeks but having Miley's heart-beat soothingly into her helped to calm her down a bit. She tried to sit up but Miley pulled her back down, rocking her softly in her arms. "You need to rest, Lilly. You're so upset baby girl, I'd like you to just let me hold you. Okay? Besides it's freezing out here and you don't have a coat so you need to stay right here in my arms." The singer stated firmly, but pressed loving kisses all over Lilly's bare head. It felt almost peaceful, just sitting by the waterfall while she held the person she loved in her arms. "If you wanna talk about anything that's bothering you, you just say so. You don't have to sleep, Lilly; I just want you to stay calm."

Lilly looked down in shame, but her eyes couldn't stare at nothing for long as she felt Miley's hands lift her chin so that their eyes met each other's. She could see the desperation in Miley's eyes of wanting to know what she was thinking. A sigh escaped her as she thought of what to say. "W-would my parents be ashamed of me? Would they be disgusted, Miley?" Her shaky voice asked, as she looked into the other's eyes with a pleading expression.

Miley kissed her cheek softly, squeezing her lovingly in her arms. She was surprised of the question, but figured sooner or later Lilly would wonder about it. "Of course not, honey! They would never be ashamed or disgusted of you, Lilly. Your momma would be more than happy for you and she would tell you how she loves to see you with such a big smile on your face. And I bet she'd tell me that I better take good care of her baby girl! Which, of course I will." She looked down at the blonde, who had tears rolling down her cheeks, and smiled sadly at her. "You miss them, don't ya honey? I know, it's gonna be hard tomorrow without your mom and dad. I know my first Christmas without my mom was brutal...She loved everything about the holiday season and it's still pretty hard without her. But it does get easier sweetie, just give it time and do not be afraid to grieve. Never, ever, ever hide your emotions. Don't even try, because they'll just eat at you and make you feel even worse. Believe me, sweetie, I've been there; I know exactly what it's like and I will be right here to give you any comfort you need or want. All you have to do is look at me, you don't even have to talk. Just look at me and I'll pull you into a big hug. We'll get ya through this baby girl, I promise you that. I love you so much, precious girl. And don't you forget it!" Miley could see a tiny, yet sad smile form on Lilly's face and felt her heart melt. She pressed their lips softly together, kissing her tenderly. "There's that beautiful smile I love to see! Stay positive, Lil, everything is gonna be okay."

"You're good at making everything feel fine, Miles. I hope you never stop, because you're the only reason I'm able to get through half the things I've gone through. If it wasn't for you, Miley, I probably wouldn't be here right now... I'd have killed myself because it's so, so hard without my mom and dad here. I try to stay happy, for Rosie...but it's hard. It would be a whole lot harder if I didn't have you in my life... You really do give me the strength to go on with my life. Even right now, after the hurtful things your Mamaw said to me, you've managed to make me feel better. I love you so much, Miley... I couldn't live without you; I really couldn't! I feel like you're the other half of me and without you I'd be a lost soul. I really hope we're together forever because I know that I can't survive without you." Lilly spoke, holding onto Miley's neck as tight as she could while kissing softly on the lips.

Miley's heart nearly melted at the pure love in Lilly's voice and she couldn't help but pull her even closer in her arms. She held Lilly's head in her arms, pressing their lips together in a loving kiss then placed her head into the crook of her neck as she cradled her softly. "Awww baby girl...Don't ever say you'd kill yourself! Your momma wouldn't be happy if you did that and she wouldn't allow it! Besides sweetie, I'm never gonna be away from you. We were meant to be with each other and no matter what we would have found each other. I'm just sorry it had to be because of your illness and your having to suffer. My poor baby, my heart broke for you the day I came to meet you. Seeing how weak and broken you looked lying in that bed just broke my heart. I wanted to just pull you into my arms the minute I saw you and hold you until you looked healthy again. And it was absolutely adorable to see how much your face lit up when you realized who I was. Then when you found out your parents told me all about you, you got all embarrassed about your posters; it was so cute! You're just full of cuteness and adorableness, aren't you sweetie? I'm so glad to call my angel, Lilly; you mean everything to me and you always will. No one will ever change that; you're stuck with me forever, Lilly darling. I love you so much, baby girl!" She smiled brightly down at the blonde, pressing soft kisses all around her head.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

_Well here it is: Chapter Fourteen! Christmas has finally arrived...Fictionally. Unfortunately, this chapter is about a little under a thousand words less than what I planned to write...but I wanted to have it up tonight. So it's just a tad bit shorter. This chapter is mostly just of Miley and Lilly having their mushi-little love fests. So yeah, I mean it's not anything too deep. But a little bit of intimacy. They love each other for crying out loud! They're allowed to be all lovey-dovey with each other :) Anyway...Enjoy! And please, please review! Three would be good for this chapter. Pleaseeee?:) Thanks, have a good day! And Merry _**almost **_Christmas!_

Chapter Fourteen

Reluctantly, Miley carried Lilly back to the house feeling it was too cold for them to be sitting out there. She hoped and prayed that her Mamaw would feel bad about how she reacted and have an apology prepared for her beautiful soulmate. Unfortunately that wasn't the case at all; the minute she stepped foot on the porch she could just sense that something wasn't right. As the two got closer to the door, Miley saw their suitcases sitting in front of the entrance. Rage grew in her body as she went knock on the door. And her feelings toward her Mamaw ceased to exist.

The door swung open, revealing an anger-filled, deeply upset Robin. She glared straight at Lilly, the person she deemed responsible for ruining their Christmas Eve dinner. "Lilly is not welcome in my house any longer; and if you plan to continue loving her, Miley Ray, you are not welcome here either." She spoke in anger, still outraged that her own granddaughter considered herself gay.

Robbie came over to them, holding his own suitcase, and sighed sadly. It devestated him to know that his own mother couldn't accept the love that his daughter and Lilly shared. Why should it matter that they're both women? He silently wondered; The love they had for each other was deep and quite envious. He shook his head while looking over at the two girls. "We're going to go stay with Grandma Ruby for the rest of our trip. And Luanne decided she'd like to come with us as well, so while we wait for her to finish packin' I'd like ya'll to go get in the car." He spoke quietly to them as he made his way out the door. Before the three of them headed off to their car, he gave one last disappointing look towards his mother. "I hope you're happy with yourself, ma. You just lost your beautiful granddaughter and hurt the girl she loves so deeply. I'm disappointed in you, mom; I really am. And until you come to your senses, I don't want anything to do with you. You had _no_ right to say what you said to Lilly!" His anger towards his mother was rising up, but he held it in as he had no interest in causing any more trouble. He took their suitcases and hurriedly walked to the car.

Once Miley got Lilly into the car and made sure she was comfortable, she went over to her father and wrapped him in a hug. "I love you so much, daddy." She whispered softly, looking up into his eyes with tears running down her cheeks. "You're the most amazing father anyone could ever ask for." She squeezed his neck tight as she let herself cry into his arms. As much as she felt rage towards her grandmother, she still loved her [deep down] and it hurt her a lot to know that her own grandma couldn't accept her just because she loved another woman.

"Oh Mile, I love you too," Robbie spoke, holding her close in his arms as he wiped the tears from her eyes. He hated to see his baby girl cry and it angered him to know that it was his mother's doing. "I'm sorry Mamaw was so mean to you and Lilly. I didn't expect her to behave that way; you're her granddaughter for crying out loud! I'm real sorry, bud; but I promise we will still have a nice Christmas. Grandma Ruby will be very happy to see you, and she won't treat either of you differently because of how you feel for each other." He pressed a gentle kiss to Miley's forehead, ruffling her hair in the process and then releasing her. "I love you, darlin'. Now go on in the car and make sure Lilly's okay."

It was a long, two-hour drive to grandmother Ruby's house. Miley sighed sadly at the sleeping girl in her arms. She felt so bad for what her Mamaw said to her and the pain that it caused her poor Lilly. Too busy in her thoughts, she barely noticed the soft touch on her arm. "Miles, don't beat yourself up over what happened. You didn't know Mamaw would react that way; I don't think any of us did." Luanne whispered softly to her cousin, stroking her arm comfrortingly.

Miley looked over at her cousin, thankful that she chose to leave with them. She gave her a sad smile, reaching her free hand over to take one of the other's. "It was sweet of you to come with us, Lu. You didn't have to do that, especially since you've never really met my grandma Ruby." She spoke quietly, stroking Luanne's hand with her thumb. Miley felt beyond grateful to have such a caring cousin and she was more than happy to have her with them.

"Please, I couldn't stand staying with Mamaw for another minute after the terrible things she said to Lilly. Sickening of her to do that! Especially after that sweet little thing saved my life just days ago. How could Mamaw be so cruel to her after that? And she hurt you too, Miles... You're her own grandchild, and she has the nerve to treat you like dirt? No way in hell would I stay with her after that. Besides, I love spending time with you Miley; it's so rare to see you anyway so I'll jump on it to have more time with my twin cousin." Luanne smiled softly over at her cousin, wrapping her arm around Miley's shoulder as she pressed a soothing kiss to her head. "Love you, darlin'."

When they finally arrived at Ruby's house, it was nearly midnight. And snow started to fall from the clouds as they got out of the car and got their suitcases out. Miley gently shook Lilly to wake her up, stroking her back in soft circles. "Lilly, baby doll, we're at my grandma's house. Time to wake up, my angel." She soothed into her ear, shaking her softly. It took a few minutes of shaking her until she finally saw Lilly's eyes flutter open and peer into hers. "Nice to see those pretty eyes of yours, Lil. Let's get out of the car and head on inside. Sound good, sweetie?" The response she got was Lilly's snuggling closer to her while resting her head on Miley's chest.

Miley let out a sigh as she held her sleepy angel close; it was going to take a lot more effort to get them out of the car than she had originally thought. She pressed her lips to Lilly's cheek, hoping it would somehow wake her back up. Instead it just caused her to cuddle closer in the singer's arms. "Awww Lilly...You know I love holding you sweetie; but you need to get up so I can bring you in the house. Come on, precious girl, just wake up long enough so that I can get you into the house and up to bed. Okay?" This time she didn't wait for a reply as she quickly got out of the car and pulled Lilly with her. She shut the door then turned to Lilly who was fast asleep again, sprawled out on the sidewalk. Concern grew as she kneel in front of the woman she loved, "Lilly, what's the matter? Why can't you stay awake?"

Lilly didn't even bother to wake up this time, instead her body began to shake really bad and her eyelids blinked continuously. Miley's concerned turn into fear as she quicky scooped the girl into her arms and ran over to her father. "D-dad, something's wrong with Lilly! She keeps falling asleep and now her body is shaking really bad!" She shrieked, not realizing that Rose was standing right there beside her father and listening to what she was saying. "W-what do we do, daddy? Something serious must be wrong with her!"

Hearing how upset Miley was about her older sister had Rose fearing the worst. She looked over at the older girl with tears about ready to fall from her eyes. "S-s-she's not gonna die...i-is she?" Her bottom lip trembeled as she peered at her shaking sister, a sob escaped her. She walked closer to Lilly, touching her cold hand and whispered into her ear, "P-please d-don't die; I-I love you Lilly!"

"Awww no Rose, sweetie, she's not gonna die..." Miley spoke, trying to keep her voice strong for the little girl. She looked down at her with empathy, stroking her hair comfortingly. "She'll be okay, honey. Don't worry. Go in the house with Luanne, okay? You need to go get some rest, sweetie. As soon as Lilly wakes up and feels better, she'll come in to see you." She pressed a soothing kiss to the distraught child's forehead before Luanne carefully took her into the house. Once those two were out of sight, Miley looked up at her dad with fear. "Lilly _is_ gonna be okay, r-right dad?"

Robbie didn't know what answer to give his daughter as he watched the girl in her arms thrash about. But he hadn't want to make her feel any worse about the situation so he nodded his head. "She'll be okay, bud. We just need to get her in the house and have her lie down." He stated, starting down the path to the entrance of the house. Miley followed right behind as she held her Lilly securely in her arms.

Once Miley got she and Lilly settled into the room they'd be staying in, she looked down at the blonde with concern. "Feelin' better, baby?" She questioned softly, pulling her into a strong embrace. She cupped Lilly's head in her arms, caressing her cheeks softly as she pressed a loving kiss to her lips. "I love you so much, sweetie. Thank god you're okay! You had us all real worried."

Lilly peered up at the woman she loved with a sad smile. She wrapped her frail arms gently around the singer's neck, pressing a tender kiss to her lips. "I'm sorry for worrying you, Miley. You worry too much for me... I love you." Her voice was scratchy and worn out but it didn't bother her. She would wear her voice out forever just so she could tell Miley how much she loved her. She placed her hands onto Miley's cheeks, looking into her eyes and seeing the hidden tears. "You know Miley, you don't always need to be strong in front of me... I know it's tempting to wanna be just cause I've got cancer, but that doesn't mean you should be. I wanna be here for you just as much as you are for me; I love you so much, Miles... It would make me feel better to know you're okay with crying in front of me. I mean I don't like to see you cry; but if you have the urge to cry, I don't want you to be afraid to cry in front of me! For god's sake I've probably cried in front of you a million times since we met so there is no need for you to hold your cries in."

Miley felt her heart swell at the touching things her beauitful Lilly said to her. She smiled warmly at her, reaching down to stroke her cheek. "You're too precious, Lil. And don't you dare apologize for my being worried about you! It's not your fault, sweetie." She wrapped her arms even tighter around the other woman's waist, pulling her as close as she could get her. "Awww Lilly, honey! It's not that I'm afraid to cry in front of you, I just don't want to upset you by crying. Anytime I see you in pain and hurting, it makes me wanna cry because you don't deserve anymore suffering! And I was scared to death that you were gonna die earlier... You couldn't feel any pain, could you baby girl?" She looked down into Lilly's eyes with deep emotions.

"It would never upset me to see you cry, Miley... Well not intentionally," Lilly whispered, staring up into her eyes with sadness. "Don't worry about my suffering, Miles, it's no big deal. Suffering is part of life. But for me, suffering is my life...I've gotten use to it. So please, Miley, don't make yourself suffer over worrying about my suffering because then you'll make me suffer for making you suffer..." She let out a small smile, hoping to lighten the mood a tiny bit. She rested her hand onto Miley's cheek, stroking soothing circles onto it. "And no, Miles, I felt no pain at all...please don't stress over it! I love you so much." A white lie that needed to be told to keep the singer from worrying even more. She softly placed her lips atop Miley's, giving her a gentle kiss.

The singer could feel her heart melting inside of her, she couldn't believe how sweet her Lilly was. And she was very happy to see a little smile on her lover's face. She lovingly caressed the smaller girl's cheek, smiling brightly at her. "Awww Lil; you're too sweet. I'm glad you're feelin' better, my love. I love ya more than anything, baby girl." Miley whispered against Lilly's ear before pulling her face closer to her own and giving her a tender kiss.

Christmas morning soon arrived and even after the awful night they had, it turned to be very special. Grandma Ruby was very happy to see her beautiful granddaughter and meet her best friend, Lilly. The six of them sat at the dinning room table to a delicous home-cooked breakfast, then went into the living room to open gifts. Ruby hadn't expected to have more than her son-in-law and granddaughter there, so she decided to give the three other girls a tin box- full of her homemade Christmas cookies.

They all sat around the beautifully decorated Christmas tree as presents were passed around to everyone. Miley and Lilly sat together, feeling as though they were in their own little world, as they opened the presents they got for each other. Both girls decided to unwrap their gifts at the same time, smiling at each other as they did so.

When Lilly saw the beautiful ornament that the singer had picked out for her, she felt a swarm of happy tears fall from her eyes. "Oh, Miley; this is absolutely beautiful," she gushed, wrapping her arms around Miley's neck in a tight embrace. "I love it so much, Miles, and it's absolutely perfect! Thank you so much." She beamed while pressing a loving kiss to the other's cheek.

"Awww, I'm so happy you like it! I had a feeling you would since you love Christmas so much and how you'd help your momma decorate the tree when you were younger, I figured it would be a good keepsake for ya. Now your momma will definitely be with you all the time, sweetie." She spoke warmly, holding Lilly close in her arms as she pressed a kiss to her head. She then reached down to finish unwrapping her gift, and was in total shock when she saw what it was. It was a beautifully decorated journal that had _For My Angelic Saviour, Miley_ written neatly in the middle of it. And inside it contained all of the many feelings Lilly had for Miley. It was written in the form of poems, songs, and she even sketched out a picture of the two of them sitting near the waterfall that Miley took them to when she told her that they were soulmates. As if that wasn't enough to melt the singer's heart into pieces, she felt something else at the bottom of the box. When she saw the stunning necklace, she couldn't help but let her tears fall. She turned to look at Lilly, cupping her face in her hands. "Lilly, this is beautiful... So beautiful, sweetie! You must have worked so hard to put this together, and I can't wait to read every single one of them. And the necklace is stunning, Lils! You didn't have to get me that, you're too much angel... But I absolutely love it; all of it! Thank you so much, baby doll. I love you," She pressed her lips softly onto Lilly's in a tenderly loving kiss.

Lilly smiled cheerfully as she reached her hand up to wipe Miley's tears. She didn't think the singer would like her gift as much as she had, but when she saw the look on her face after she opened the gift, she knew she had truly loved it. "I know it's not much, Miles... But I started writing poems and songs about how amazing you were when I first started to like you. And when I was stuck in the hospital, it gave me something to do rather than staring off into space. I would spend countless hours just writing about you and how much your music meant to me. Blah, blah, blah, pretty much what any fangirl would do. I even wrote letters to you, stating how much I admired you and how inspirational you were to me. Of course I never sent them, because I figured you would never get them; or if you had I thought you'd just throw them out and think I'm just some stupid obsessed fan. So anyway I decided to make a journal dedicated to you and I think I was either twelve or thirteen when I started writing in it and continued up until now. And the necklace was given to me by mother when I was first diagnosed with cancer... she said if I ever felt weak or didn't think I could handle anymore of the pain that I just needed to put this necklace on and it would make everything go away. It had my mom's love inside so I knew it was true, and it did help me through a lot of the pain. But now that I've met you and we've become so close, I want you to have it because you're the one who helps me through everything...And the necklace belongs to you. I love you so much, Miley. Thank you for loving me and seeing past my disease. Not many people have done that."

Miley couldn't think of how to respond to her Lilly's touching words. All she could do at that moment was pull her into the tightest embrace possible and hold her as close as she could have her. Gently, she took Lilly's head and laid it onto her chest while peering down into her eyes with compassion. "Oh Lilly...honey, this is more than enough!" The singer gushed as she stroked her lover's cheeks lovingly. "You are the sweetest little thing in the world, and I absolutely love what you made for me. That's the most precious thing anyone has ever done for me, Lil. And I will cherrish this beautiful journal forever. Excuse my language for a second, Lil...but you are _so fucking _sweet! I mean I can't even describe how sweet you are. Seriously Lil, you're too sweet. And you thought I'd throw away letters from you? Awww Lilly I would never do that! Especially if it was from you. You're my precious sweetheart; I would have cherrished anything you sent to me...even if I didn't know you then." She spoke warmly, holding her close as she gave a soft kiss to her head. "This necklace is gorgeous, Lilly love. You're too sweet for wanting to give it to me...That really, really makes my heart melt. Oh Lilly, I just wanna hold you forever...You're such a little sweetie! _My_ sweetie. I love you more than anyone in the whole world, baby." She pulled Lilly up, cradling her in her arms, and took her upstairs. She figured it would be best they go upstairs and have some alone time, before they scarred the whole family with their little love-fest.

Ruby watched the two observantly, then looked over at Robbie with a smile. "Well, it seems those two really are in love with each other. Haven't seen such passionate love like that since you and Noelle." She gave him a soft pat on the shoulder as she knew how hard it had been on him to lose such a wonderful person. And God only knew how much she missed her daughter... Life was never the same after her death.

"Oh, believe me, they sure are." Robbie stated, smiling brightly. "And I'm beyond happy for the two of them. They make each other happy and they deserve to be together. I've never seen my little girl so happy as she is with Lilly. And Lilly, she definitely deserves the happiness Mile gives her. That poor child has gone through hell several times in her life. And I know the two of em' will take good care of each other."

Miley gently placed Lilly in the bed as she lay down beside her, smiling softly at her. She pulled the girl closer to her so that their faces were only inches a part and placed her hands on either side of her cheeks. "Lilly, sweetheart; I love you so much." Her voice was soft and loving as she ran her hand tenderly across her cheek. "I love you so, so much, pretty girl. How does cuddling in my arms, for the next hour or two, sound to you? After the sweet, touching things you've said to me, I just need to hold you and love on you for the next several hours. Regardless of your answer, I'm not letting you out of my arms sweetie. You need to be held by Miley. Forever." She whispered into her ear, kissing her warmly on the lips before putting Lilly's head onto her chest.

The blonde couldn't say no that; she loved how safe and loved she felt when Miley held her. That was the best feeling in the world to her and she would take that chance whenever she could. "That doesn't sound too bad, Miles. I love being in your arms...it's just so relaxing and calming to have your arms around me. You make me feel safe. I love you too, Miley." She smiled, snuggling closer into the brunette's warm embrace. There surely wasn't anything she loved more than to be in the arms of the woman she loved more than anyone.

"Awww," Miley cooed softly, pressing a gentle kiss atop Lilly's bare head. "You know I'll always hold you, sweetie. I love to hold you, gives me pleasure to know that I can always find a way to comfort you and help you through your pain. Besides holding you is as much as relaxing and calming for me as it is for you. There's not a thing I love more than to hold my precious little sweetie in my arms. Love you tons, baby doll. Can't say it enough!" She smiled warmly down at her precious lover, caressing her cheeks in a loving manner.

A glowing smile spread across Lilly's face as she peered up into the green eyes watching over her. She reached down for one of Miley's hands, holding it comfortingly in her own. "I love you too, Miley. Forever; even when I'm dead and gone, I'll still love you." She softly whispered, pressing her lips to Miley's cheek.

As Christmas day went on, Lilly felt herself begin to miss her parents. She'd never celebrated a single holiday without them there with her and today turned to be a lot harder than she thought. And for her younger sister, she couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like for her. Lilly sat alone in the living room, while Miley spent some time with her grandma, thinking of her parents. She thought of how they would have been there with them, enjoying a wonderful Christmas together..._not_ in a hospital for once.

The longer she sat there and thought about it, the closer she was to having tears in her eyes. All she wanted was for her parents to come back, and to have a nice holiday with them. She knew they would have enjoyed celebrating with Miley's family; they really took a liking to her dad. Shaking her head sadly, Lilly tried to hold in her tears. The last thing she wanted was to start crying and have Miley come in to see that.

Fortunately, she didn't have to worry about anyone else coming in the room while she mourned for her parents. Robbie had taken her sister and Luanne on a tour of the property; he offered to take Lilly as well but she rather have some time to herself. But then as she sat there with thoughts and memories of her parents, she regretted her decision. "I really miss you, mom and dad," she whispered, tears brimming her eyelids. "We finally got the chance to have a really nice Christmas where I wouldn't be trapped in a hospital...and-and you two aren't even here to enjoy it. How unfair is that?" Her voice was hoarse and tears fell freely from her eyes as she looked straight ahead. It really wasn't fair that her mother and father weren't there to celebrate the holidays.

Miley enjoyed a nice conversation with her Grandma Ruby as they shared a pot of coffee together. It had been great to finally see her again and catch up. Especially because she reminded her so much of her mother. Ruby was just an older version of Noelle; they looked nearly identical with dark brown hair and blue-green eyes. She smiled over at the loving grandmother as she reached to take a sip of her coffee. "I'm so glad to be back here, gram. I've missed you so much, and I know it's hard on you as well without momma here. Christmas was her favorite time of the year...she spent all her time baking cookies and pies while singing along to all the Christmas carols." The two shared a loving embrace and then Miley took their empty mugs to the sink.

As she was about to sit back down, she could hear soft sniffling and talking coming from the living room. Immediately she realized it was Lilly and hurriedly made her way in there. She heard the girl crying out for her parents, which just about ripped out her heart. "Lilly," Miley whispered softly, taking a seat beside her as she pulled her close, "Awww sweetie, it's gonna be okay." She felt Lilly try to pull away from her but she held her tighter, pressing a comforting kiss to her head. "Honey, let me comfort you. I know how hard it is to go through your first Christmas without your parents. It's gonna be okay, though, Lil. And it will get easier; you just need to give it time and let me help you through it. How about I make us a kettle of tea and we snuggle up out on the porch? I think that might help you feel better. Sound good, baby doll?"

Lilly tearfully nodded into Miley's neck, "I l-love you." She held onto the singer's neck pretty tight, not wanting her to let go. "I love you..."

"Awww babe, I love you too." Miley whispered against her love's ear, kissing her comfortingly on the lips. She wrapped her arms securely around Lilly's waist as she gently led her to the back porch. "It's gonna be okay, angel. Sit down and relax, I'll be right back with some tea and a warm blanket." She could see the fear and darkness in Lilly's eyes which made her heart break. "Sweetheart, there's nothing to be afraid of...I'll be back in just a second and then I promise you can snuggle up to me. Okay? I won't be long, I promise sweetie." She tenderly squeezed Lilly close to her, kissing her softly on the head before hurrying in the house.

About five minutes later, Miley came back out with a blanket draped over shoulder and two steaming cups of hot tea. She place the cups on the side table near her and sat beside Lilly, pulling her onto her lap and wrapping the blanket around them. The blonde immediately held onto her neck as tight as she could while tears fell from her eyes. Her actions started to cause a bit of concern to build up in Miley, holding her as tight as she could. "Baby, what's the matter? You seem to be really clingy. Somethin' bothering you, my sweetie?" She kept her voice gentle, looking into her angel's eyes with love.

Lilly refused to answer, only holding onto her tighter as more tears dripped down her face. She weakly peered into the concerned green eyes watching her, with sorrow. "I-I just I need you, M-Miley...and-and I love you..." Her body started to slightly tremble as sobs escaped her in vexatious swarms.

"I'm right here, sweetie pie; I'm right here. I won't leave you, Lilly. Why are you so upset, baby girl? Please talk to me, angel, you have me really worried." Miley questioned, overly concerned and worried for her lover. She kept her arms securely wrapped around her, laying Lilly's head carefully onto her chest. "You have got to calm down, precious. You're gonna make yourself sick... You're safe, Lilly; I've got you and I will not let you go. I promise you that, my sweet angel. Close your eyes and relax. Please just relax, darlin'. The more upset you get, the worse you feel. So please, please try to calm down. Talk to me, tell me what I can do to make you feel better. I wanna help you sweetie!"

There was no response from Lilly, she only got worse. Her body start to shake really hard as she screamed out in agony. Pain began to shoot through her head causing her to hold on even tighter to Miley. Tears flung from her eyes and fell down to land on the singer's neck. She looked up at her, pain deeply evident in her eyes. "It-It h-h-hurts, M-M-Miley. It h-hurts b-bad." She cried out, sobbing into her lover's chest.

Hearing and seeing how much pain her poor Lilly was in brought a bout full of tears to her own eyes. She gently rocked them back and forth, pressing soothing kisses all over the smaller girl's head. "What hurts, baby?! Is it your head?" When she got a tiny nod, Miley gently took a hold of the other's head and held it against her chest while pressing soft, gentle kisses all around it. "Shhhh, shhhh. I've got you, sweetheart. It's gonna be okay, I'll be right here to help you through this awful, agonizing pain you're in. Does it feel any better when I hold your head on my chest? Maybe closing your eyes might help, too." She soothed as softly as she could into Lilly's ear. She saw that the other had nodded to her question, so she kept her hold on her head. "Close your eyes sweetie, and try to sleep. I think sleeping in my arms might be the only way to soothe you and make you feel better right now. I won't leave you, I'll hold you forever if I need to. Anything to take you out of this misery you're in... You poor baby! But I bet after a few hours of sleep and nice cuddle in my arms you'll feel a lot better. Shhh, close your precious eyes and rest. I love you so much, sweetheart. I promise you'll be okay, angel." She pulled the girl closer to her as she continued to hold her head against her softly-beating chest. Miley would hold her for eternity if it would take all of Lilly's pain away. It pained her more than anything to see the woman she loved suffer.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

_Yes, another chapter to this never ending story, in the same month! Oh, wait...it's not a never-ending story, know why? Cause' there's only five more chapters left! Oh my, is that all? :( Yes...but don't be sad fellow readers! Because there will be a sequal :D ..._**Eventually!** _Anyway, here's chapter fifteen... please do enjoy. Oh and review as well. Can we get four this time? Pleaseeee? And make sure to read my new story, _**The Healing Elixir**_, because once I finish this one that will be my main focus. And I need some feedback on it! Thanks :) Merry New Year and Happy Christmas!_

Chapter Fifteen

Miley woke up to the sight of her beautiful lover sleeping peacefully in her arms. She smiled softly, reaching down to stroke the sleeping girl's bare head. It felt great to just lay there and hold the woman she loved while watching her sleep. _No one_ had the ability to make her heart flutter or her stomach tingle the way her beautiful Lilly had. And _no one_ could ever have such a close place in her heart as her sweet angel did. She softly placed her lips onto the smaller girl's cheek, "I love you, my darling Lilly."

Downstairs, Robbie helped Ruby in the kitchen as she prepared for the dinner they were having that night. Every New Year's Eve, Ruby had her family over [aside from Robbie and Miley] for a home-cooked meal and a little party to bring in the new year. With the loss of her daughter, many years ago, it grew harder to want to celebrate anything, but after a while things started to get better. And she was certainly looking forward to throwing her annual New Year's party this year, especially since she had her granddaughter and son-in-law with her.

Robbie smiled to himself, he really enjoyed staying at Ruby's house. She was always in a cheerful mood, and took great care of her granddaughter. "How many people are you planning to have over this evening, Ruby?" He asked, while wiping off the table with a damp wash cloth. He always enjoyed celebrating new year's at his mother-in-law's house; all his late wife's relative were such a pleasure to talk to.

"Oh, the usual," Ruby stated, as she put some pork and sauerkraut into the roasting pot. "Noelle's best friend, Lorelai, still comes every year with her kids and husband. She's always been like a second daughter to me, so it makes me happy that she still enjoys coming here. And then my brother and his wife will be here. Their kids are grown, and don't live around here anymore so the party's been getting smaller and smaller each year. But everyone will be so happy to see you and Miles this year!" She smiled, moving over to the coffee pot to start a new brew. As hard as it was to go on after her daughter's death, Ruby found that it did get easier with every year, and that one day she would be reunited with her beautiful child. But until then, she didn't see the need to continue to dwell on it. Noelle wouldn't want her to let life pass her by.

Later that morning found Miley and Lilly enjoying a delicious breakfast with Grandma Ruby. All three of them had a nice conversation; Miley was pleased to see that her grandmother truly accepted their love. "I really love you, gram; and it means so much to me that you accept the love Lilly and I share. It's nice to know that we won't be judged by you." A smile spread across her face as she reached over the table to press a kiss to Ruby's cheek.

The dark-haired grandmother peered over at Miley, smiling lovingly at her. And then looked over at Lilly, happy to know that both girls loved each other. She could just sense that the two were meant for each other; she'd never seen a love so deep, except for the love Robbie and Noelle had. "Oh, Miles, sweet pea; I could never judge you or Lilly. You two are deeply in love, and it should be envied. It's not often I see two people so in love, as the pair of you are. The only love I've seen that comes close to yours, is Noelle's and Robbie's. They loved each other more than anything in the world; I remember the first date they had... Noelle came home, and I just _knew_ that she found the one. I never thought I'd see love as strong as theirs, but yours and Lilly's seems to be quite the same. And I'm so happy for you, Miles. And for you as well, Lilly. You two oughta take good care of each other. Although, Lilly, I know you're ill so I won't be too hard on you; just make sure you always show your appreciation for our dear, Miley. And Miley, same goes for you. Don't take each other for granted, because you never know when you'll lose one another."

Miley felt her heart swell with love and warmth at the touching words her grandmother spoke. She quickly got up from her seat and walked to where her grandma sat, wrapping her arms lovingly around her neck, "Thank you, grams. It means more to me than anything to know that you accept our love. And believe me, we will **never** take each other for granted!" Her eyes beamed with happiness as she pressed a kiss to the older lady's cheek. She never would take her sweet Lilly for granted, and she knew Lilly would never do so either. They were soulmates.

Around six o'clock that evening, the house started to fill with relatives. Everyone was hyped up on Christmas cookies and sugary deserts making Ruby's house full of energy. Children ran around in circles, jumped on furniture, and screamed at the top of their lungs. Adults sat at the dining room table, enjoying a good conversation with one another. Miley was sitting on the living room floor, by the fire-place, as she held Lilly close in her arms. They watched happily as all the singer's little cousins ran around the room.

Lilly peered up into her lover's sea-green eyes, glowing with a smile. "What a beautiful way to bring in the new year," she spoke softly, leaning her head against the other's shoulder. Before now, she never really celebrated New Year's. She was usually in the hospital, so her parents, sister, and she would just watch the ball drop on television and that was that.

Miley squeezed her tight while pressing a kiss to her cheek. She definitely had to agree with her Lilly on that; seeing as she'd been a world-famous singer, most of the past New Year's Eves, she was invited to give a performance at the party in New York City. So it felt absolutely wonderful to be able to relax with the people she loved most and enjoy the warmth of her Grandma Ruby's house. "It sure is, sweetie." She smiled, stroking her lover's cheek. The two enjoyed being in each other's loving embrace, and watched joyfully as everyone around them talked and had a great time.

In the dining room, Luanne sat at the table and listened in on what other's were saying. She didn't really know any of these people, aisde from her uncle, so she felt a bit awkward sitting with them. She reached for her glass, taking a slow sip as she continued to observe everyone around her. Too into her own thoughts, the auburn haired woman hadn't notice someone had tapped her shoulder.

"Miley," the person who tapped her called out. Luanne had to hold in a laugh, before turning to face the person. She shook her head, hoping he'd realize that she wasn't Miley. The young man smiled, taking in all her beauty and still thought that she was the _amazing_ Miley Stewart. "Wow, Miley, it sure has been a while since we've seen you. How's your singing career going? Everyone's been talking about you and heard that you're taking a break for a while. Is that so?"

Luanne's laugh, that was being kept inside, turned into a warming smile when she realized just how handsome the young man had bee. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not Miley," she spoke, her southern accent a little more pronounced as to confirm her statement. "I am, however, her twin cousin Luanne. But I don't have a singing career, couldn't carry a tune if I wanted to." She joked, and smiled brightly when she got a laugh out of him. Boy was he a good lookin' man, she thought to herself. "May I ask what your name is?"

The man shook his head, in shock, he was surely surprised that there could be another woman in the world who had Miley's same, beautiful features. He smiled kindly as he held his hand out to shake hers, "Well, it's very nice to meet you, Luanne. I had no idea Miley had a cousin that looked identical to her. You must be from her father's her side, no? Never seen you here before. I'm Ryder, son of her late mother's best friend. Are you from around here?" His deep brown eyes poured into hers, filled with warmth and a tiny bit of lust. When he and Miley were younger, he developed a tiny crush on her; but now he knew he hadn't a chance as the young woman had found her true love. Although he had no chance with the singer herself, he wondered if he'd have any luck with her beautiful cousin.

Luanne gladly took his hand in hers, shaking it gently. A glowing smile made it's way to her face as she peered into his warming brown eyes. Instantly, she could tell that there was a spark growing between the two of them and that made her heart tingle with excitement. "Ah, what an intriguing name you have, Ryder. It's nice to meet you, as well. Yes, my father is her father's identical twin," she let out a chuckle, "Hence why Miles and I are nearly identical. And uh, I do live here in Tennessee; I live about two hours from here though with our Mamaw. Near the Kentucky border, really." She could feel her cheeks heating up; it had been quite a while since she'd really took a liking to a guy, especially one so handsome and kind as Ryder.

Ryder couldn't help but smile at her blushing; she seemed to be such a sweet person. "Why don't we go and sit on the porch? It's a beautiful evening, and I'd love to get to know you better, Luanne," He gently took her hand, lifting her out of her seat, and leading her out the back door.

As it grew closer to midnight, everyone got more and more roud up. Miley had already claimed hers and Lilly's spot on the couch; she knew that they'd all want to sit there to watch the ball drop, so she made to sure to grab a spot before anyone else had the chance. "Excited to see the ball drop, my love?" The singer asked softly while holding her lover as close as she could get her. She pressed her lips warmly to Lilly's head, and held them there for several seconds before letting them go.

But before Lilly could answer, a middle-aged woman came walking over to them with a huge smile plastered to her face. She took a seat on the empty side of Miley, smiling brightly at her. "Oh my is it good to see you, Miley Ray," the woman spoke, pulling the younger girl into her arms. It turned out to be Lorelai who had come to talk to her. "You sure have grown up and look more and more like your beautiful momma. She would sure be proud of the woman you've become, Miley. And may I ask who this young lady sitting beside you is?"

"Oh, it's good to see you too, Lori," Miley smiled, enjoying the embrace of her mother's best friend. She could remember some of the fondest memories made when she'd been younger. Their families always went on pinics together during the warm, summer months, and right before winter, they'd go on their annual camping trip. "This is Lilly; my best friend, and solemate." She spoke proudly and full of confidence as she smiled warmly down at her angel.

Hearing her call Lilly her soulmate, had Lorelai confused. Were the two dating? She questioned in her mind. Living in Tennesse, a conservative and religious state at that, it was not very often that anyone encountered people in a same-sex relationship. And it felt very awkward to Lorelai on how to address it. "You're soulmate? Like how your parents loved each other?" Her voice barely above a whisper, not wanting others to hear.

Miley didn't feel offended by the older woman's reaction. She knew not everyone would understand the love she and her Lilly had for each other. "Exactly how my daddy and momma felt for each other. Mine and Lilly's love is no different; we're just the same gender. But that doesn't define our love or who we are." She confidently said, a beaming smile evident on her face. She peered down at Lilly, stroking her forehead tenderly.

Still confused and a bit taken back, Lorelai had to take a moment to think. Could her best friend's daughter really be gay, and in love with another woman? She pondered the question in her mind and then thought of what Noelle would think. Her best friend, Lori knew, loved her daughter more than anything, and she would most certainly accept any person the girl chose to love. "Well that's wonderful, Miley. Your momma would be very happy for you," she spoke with a smile, as she watched the two deeply in love woman embrace each other.

The new year finally came, everyone cheered and shouted "Happy New Year!" at the stroke of twelve. Miley and Lilly shared a loving kiss when no one was looking, and an hour after, the house became quiet as the people filed out. Yawning and exhausted, the two lovers decided they'd head on upstairs to get some much needed rest. They definitely earned some rest after the busy week they had.

Miley tiredly got in bed and happily waited for her Lilly to do so, as well. Holding the woman she loved all night as they slept sounded just perfect to her. As soon as she felt the mattress sink beside her, a loving smile formed on her face. "Get yourself in these arms, Lils. I've been waiting to hold you all night!" She spoke warmly, pulling her lover into a strong and relaxing embrace. "Mmm," she sighed happily, "I absolutely love holding you, my beautiful angel."

Lilly beamed as she nuzzled her head into the singer's warm neck. She wrapped her arms gently around Miley's neck, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. "I love you," Lilly whispered, snuggling deeper into the other's strong arms. She had such a wonderful New Year's and Christmas this year, and it was all thanks to the woman she loved and her father. Her eyes slowly closed as she thought of what the next year would bring. Then she smiled; she made it another year. Another year that she was supposed to die in but she didn't.

"I love you too, baby doll." Miley whispered back, pressing a tender kiss to the other's lips. She held her tighter and closer, stroking her back in soothing circles. She noticed the beautiful smile on her lover's face and grew happier. "Awww what a precious smile you've got, Lils. What're ya thinkin' bout, lovey?" Warmth and love clearly evident in her voice as she pered passionately into her Lilly's eyes.

The smaller girl turned her head to look up at Miley, a smile still plastered on her face. "Everything... I mean it's been another year, and I'm still here. Another year that I was supposed to die, and yet here I am with my soulmate... I never thought I'd live long enough to find my soulmate, but I have. And that's the most amazing feeling in the world, Miley. I wish my parents were here to see that; my mom was always helping me fight my battles, she never gave up on me...and every time I made it through another year, she'd tell me how the doctors had no idea what they were talking about and that I'd live for many more years to come," Lilly wiped at the few tears that gathered in her eyes, "She was always so positive about it and had such faith in me... My father, though, he wasn't as positive. Nor was he very sympathetic. I mean I loved him and everything, but... I don't know. He wasn't warm and fuzzy, you know, like your dad is. He didn't really care when I was ill, he'd just tell me to get over it and shut up. And when I asked him if he thought I'd die, he simply said "yes". No emotion in his voice at all..." She looked away and started to feel upset. Anger rose in her body as she pulled herself to a sitting position and cried out.

Miley frowned at the pain in her lover's voice. Sitting up beside her, she firmly gathered Lilly in her arms while pressing a soothing kiss to her cheek. She held the girl tight in her arms, swaying back and forth in an effort to soothe her. "Shhhhh, it's okay sweetie," the singer whispered into her ear, kissing her head tenderly. "It's okay, Lilly. Come on, baby girl, let's lie back down. It's late and you're exhausted. Don't cry, my angel, I'm right here. I love you so much, beautiful girl." She gently lay down and pulled Lilly with her, placing the blonde's head warmly onto her chest. Sadly smiling down at her, Miley placed her hand on her cheek and caressed it tenderly, "Everything's gonna be fine, sweetie."

The first week into the new year had the five of them packing up and ready to head back to California. Robbie offered for Luanne to come with them, as he knew she hadn't felt like going back to stay with Mamaw. He loaded up the trunk of the car before getting in the driver's side and starting it up. It was pouring down rain out, a gloomy day to be leaving his home state. He'd never get used to living away from where he had been raised.

After a very, long exhausting flight, they finally arrived back at the California airport and couldn't wait to get home. Miley had to carry Lilly as the girl had fallen alseep and she didn't feel the need to wake her. As soon as they got back to the Stewart household, Miley brought her sleeping lover up to her room and gently lay her in the bed. After making sure the girl was comfortale and sound asleep, she quietly left the room to head back downstairs.

Miley went to find her father and smiled when she saw that he'd been sitting on their sun-porch reading a book. Gently, she made her way out there, taking a seat beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder, enjoying the warmth that radiated from his body. "Whatcha readin', daddy?" Her soft voice questioned while she looked up at the southern man, a warm smile on her face.

Mr. Stewart smiled to himself as he set his book aside so that he could wrap his arms around his baby girl. "Just a book your momma used to read. It's actually pretty good," he said, holding his daughter close. He longed for the moments like the one they were having at that moment; he cherrished them and enjoyed every second of holding his little girl in his arms. "Where's Lilly? It's very rare for you to be away from her, bud."

"She's sleeping, and I thought I'd let her; she looked exhausted," Miley responded, wrapping her arms around her father's neck. She loved sharing moments as that with her dad; for she knew one day she wouldn't have the oppurtunity anymore. "I thought while she rests, I'd come spend time with my favorite daddy. And I'd like to ask you something..."

Robbie patted her head softly, pressing a loving kiss to her cheek. "And what might that be, darlin'?" He had a feeling he might know what it was, but he waited to hear her ask. He gave her a reassuring squeeze as a calming smile formed on his face.

Miley took in a deep breath, knowing this would be a big step in her life and her father's. She looked into her father's eyes and could see the sincerity in them. "Well...You know that Lilly and I are solemates, right daddy?" He nodded, and she smiled, "I love her with all my heart, daddy, and...and I'm thinking about asking her to marry me... I know we're still young and all, but she's got a horrible illness to deal with and I don't want it to be too late. I want to spend the rest of my life with her and I know she wants the same." Miley peered up at her father, seeing the tears that lined his eyes. She squeezed him softly while beaming up at him as she knew she had his approval.

Tears slowly spilled out from his blue-green eyes as the southern father held his grown daughter close. He knew she would ask him that and he would be more than happy to see the two of them marry and live together for eternity. "Oh Mile, bud; I know you and her are solemates. And more than anything do you have my blessing in your plea to marry one another." His voice full of emotion and face covered in ecstatic tears. "Noelle would be so happy for you and Lilly, bud. And I also know that she'd want me to give you the ring that I proposed to her with... For you to give to Lilly."

"Oh daddy...are you sure? I know how much that ring means to you," Miley felt her own eyes fill with tears as she snuggled into her father's warm embrace. The fact that he wanted her to have the ring he gave to her mother so that she could give it to her Lilly, meant more to her than anything and it surely made her heart burst with affection. "I love you so much, daddy. I'm so lucky to have you."

Nearly four o'clock in the evening it was when Lilly finally awoke from her peaceful slumber. She slowly stretched, feeling well rested after a good three hours of sleep. Getting out of bed, she gently made her way down the stairs and was surprised to see that only her sister had been done there. Her sister sat on the couch, silently watching the television in front of her.

Lilly gently sat down next to her sister, wrapping her in a warm hug. "You okay, Rosie? You look a little upset..." Her voice questioned softly as she pressed a comforting kiss to her forehead. She stroked the child's hair lovingly as she held her tight. Making sure her sister knew that she would always be there for her and comfort her.

Rose snuggled herself deeper into the gentle arms of her sister; she never felt safer than when her older sister held her. She let out a sigh, looking up into the worried blue eyes. "I kinda miss Mimi... I never had such a great friend as I did with her. No one is as nice or as fun as she at my school, Lilly." Her brown eyes, that usually held positivity and cheerfulness, were clouded with a darkness that nearly broke Lilly's heart.

"Oh Rosie; I'm sorry," she whispered gently, pressing a comforting kiss to her head. "But I bet you'll get to see her again sometime. Are the kids at school mean to you, sweetie?" Lilly grew worried, knowing exactly what it was like to have kids pick on her and make stuff up about her. And the last thing she wanted was for her baby sister to have to go through the same thing. She wrapped her arms tighter around the other, stroking her back in soft circles.

Shaking her head slowly, Rose casted her eyes downward. She refused to admit to her sister anything that was going on; she didn't want to make the older girl worry, especially when she'd been busy fighting such a tragic disease. "No, no one's mean to me... They're just not the same as Millie. I think I like Tennessee better than here, because everyone was so friendly and cheerful there." She said, her voice deadpanned. Her head slowly lay against Lilly's shoulder and her eyes darted towards the other's head. A smile grew on her face as she noticed the small stubles of hair scattered amongst her older sister's head. "Lilly! I think your hair's starting to grow back! Now you'll finally stop feeling so bad about yourself," The excitement in her voice was very clear as she squeezed the older girl tight.

Lilly couldn't help but laugh at her sister's enthusiasm. She pressed a warm kiss to her forehead, stroking her hair lovingly. "That's good to know. Maybe one day it'll be long enough that I can wear it up in a ponytail. And you're such a sweet, little sister, Rosie. I love you so much," She squeezed her tight as she sway back and forth. Knowing her sister would always care for her and want what's best, made Lilly smile. The young child had a mind that was way beyond her years.

Miley smiled as she watched the woman she loved sitting peacefully in the living room. She gently walked over to her and slid into the empty spot beside her. "Hey, Lils. Have a good nap earlier? You look a lot better, sweetheart," the brunette softly wondered while pulling her Lilly into a warm embrace. Her smile grew when she saw the other nod to her question. "Good. I was thinking; how would you like it if we went out to dinner tonight? Just the two of us and then maybe we'll go for a walk on the beach. Would you like that, my sweetie?" She pressed her lips tenderly onto the other's, guiding them in a passionate kiss.

The feeling of Miley's soft lips touching her own, put a glowing smile on her face as she gently kissed her back. She lifted her head to look lovingly into the singer's eyes, "That sounds absolutely wonderful, Miley. I would really love that." Any time spent with her solemate would be cherrished by her forever. Miley was everything to her and she enjoyed the time they had together.

"Aww, great! We'll leave whenever you're ready, love. I'm just gonna use the restroom and get my purse. Head on out to the car when you're ready, Lil." Miley spoke, pressing another warm kiss to her lover's lips before heading up the stairs to get her things. She couldn't wait to propose to the woman who'd stolen her heart.

Once the two were in the restaurant and seated, Miley couldn't help but stare in awe at her beautiful Lilly that sat across from her. Lilly wore one of her favorite sweater dresses [a dress given to her by her mother the past Christmas] with a sparkling headband to cover up her baldness. "Oh, Lilly; You look absolutely gorgeous, sweetie." Miley gushed, reaching over to take her hand and then pressed a warm kiss to it. "I love you so much, angel."

Lilly beamed over at her, "I love you too, Miley; And you're looking pretty beautiful yourself! The necklace suits you _just_ perfectly." She stroked the hand that held hers, overly ecstatic to be spending a wonderful evening with the woman she loved more than life itself. And, as she looked down at her dress, she knew her mother would be very pleased to see how happy Miley had made her. That's all her mother ever wanted for her, was happiness[...and for her to never have to suffer again].

Before they could further their little love-fest, a handsome, young waiter came over to the table. He handed them each a menu, a little more roughly to Lilly, when his eyes met Miley's. He couldn't believe that _the_ Miley Stewart was sitting at a table that _he'd_ been waiting on. "Good evening Miss Stewart," he smiled brightly at her, still in shock that she was in front of him, "and whoever you are," he nodded slightly to Lilly, caring less who she was. "Can I get you something to drink?"

Seeing Lilly's head bow down in shame, Miley peered up at the waiter with building anger. "I'd appreciate if you'd address my sweetie by her name, which is Lilly, and _not_ treat her like she's nothing! Oh, and we'd both like a glass of Coke. Diet for Lilly, and make sure you don't put too much ice in hers!" She gave him the biggest fake smile she could possibly muster up and after he was gone, she gave an apologetic look to the blonde. "Awww Lilly; honey, I'm sorry he was such a jerk... People just don't appreciate true beauty like they used to," She smiled warmly when she heard a small laugh come out from her lover.

"Ah, his ignorance didn't bother me that much...besides I've got the most beautiful and amazing woman in the world with _me_ on a date, and he's stuck here waiting on us. If anything he's probably jealous of that and therefore I feel sorry for him." She beamed, a glowing and the most beautiful smile Miley ever saw, leaning over the table to press a soft kiss to the singer's cheek. "Yes, I feel real sorry for the kid," The two shared a chuckle right as he came back with their sodas.

The waiter quickly rolled his eyes before setting their glasses in front of them. "Ready to order?" His voice curt and brief as he impatiently tapped his pen on the notepad. Once they gave him their orders, that he sloppily scribbled onto the piece of paper, he hurriedly ran off to wait on another table; he couldn't stand to see Miley Stewart with someone like Lilly.

Miley couldn't help but laugh at his complete rudness towards them, and then she looked over at her Lilly; her facial expression softened immediately as a loving grin appeared on her face. "Awww Lilly, you're always saying the sweetest things! If anything, I think he's jealous of how gorgeous my soulmate is and was trying to play-hard-to-get. I would too if you were on a date with someone else. No one compares to how beautiful and stunning you are, sweetie." She took Lilly's hand and tenderly stroked it over with her thumb.

Lilly shook her head, leaning over to take a sip of her fizzy soda. "Except you, Miley; Compared to you, I'm nothing..." She spoke, looking down in shame. As much as Miley tried to make her self esteem rise, she knew it never would; at least not when she was still hairless. She could never feel beautiful without her long, blonde hair.

"_Lilly_! Don't talk like that! Please, Lil; I hate that you feel so bad about yourself... You are so, so beautiful sweetie! How can you not see that? And please, please don't ever compare yourself to anyone. You're the most gorgeous woman my eyes have ever seen, and I am so blessed to call you my angel, and my precious soulmate. I love you so deeply, baby, and I will forever. I just, I want you to stop putting yourself down. Okay? You don't deserve to feel awful about yourself, Lilly, you've fought so hard to live and I don't want you to dwell on your looks. Because in my eyes, you are absolutely perfect! The fact that you've suffered through cancer and it's caused you to go bald...why that just makes you even more beautiful! Everything about you is beautiful, Lilly. Stop denying that! You're my beautiful angel, Lil. And I love you so, very much." Miley spoke, longing to take the woman in her arms and never letting go, but settled for leaning across the table to kiss her sweetly on the lips.

After dinner was finished and the two were stuffed to the breaking point, a walk on the beach sounded perfect to them. The moment they stepped onto the sand, Miley had her arms wrapped tightly around the other as she pulled her in for a much awaited embrace. "I love you, baby girl," she spoke against her ear as she pressed a warm kiss to her head. She stood there for several minutes just holding her soulmate close, before releasing her and grabbing her hand.

They walked for many peaceful minutes before Miley saw the spot she wanted to take her to. It was a place she found when she and her daddy had first moved to California. And the perfect place to ask the woman of her dreams for her hand in marriage. As they got closer, Miley felt her heart tingle with excited butterflies; she couldn't wait to ask Lilly the question she'd been waiting so long to ask her.

Kneeling down on one knee, Miley held out a tiny box containing the stunning ring that her father had given her mother. She looked up at Lilly, who was nearly in tears at this point, and smiled warmly at her. "Awww Lils, don't cry sweetie. Your beautiful face is not meant for crying," she soothed, reaching her hand up to wipe at the tears rolling down her lover's cheek. "Oh, God, my Lilly; you have no clue how much I love you...and how much I want to spend forever with you." Miley paused for a moment as she grabbed Lilly's hand, holding it warmly in her own, and then bringing it to her lips so that she could place a tender kiss to it. "Lilly, sweetie, may I have your precious hand in marriage?"

Lilly couldn't help but to allow the tears that she held, fall freely from her eyes. She nodded her head enthusiastically as she pulled Miley up to her and pressed their lips together in a loving kiss, "Yes, Miley...Yes! More than anything would I want that! I love you so much, Miley, and I want to spend the rest of my days here on earth with you! So yes, you can certainly have my hand in marraige, Miles. I'm all yours..."

Miley beamed, her face glowing as she gently place the ring onto Lilly's finger and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. "Well you definitely are mine, Lilly; my beautiful sweetheart! That I will cherrish forever, and ever. I love you more than anyone in the whole universe, babe. And I will never stop. I can't wait until we marry and everyone will know that we're soulmates." She pulled Lilly in for a long, sweet kiss then peered into her eyes with deep love. "Why don't we head home and go upstairs? I think I'd like to show you just how much I love you. Sound good, sweetheart?"

"Sounds perfect...as long as I can show you how much I love you?" She snuggled into Miley's strong and loving arms, pressing a kiss to her cheek and neck. "You're my everything, Miley; I can't wait to spend every waking minute with you."

Miley cupped Lilly's head in her hands, caressing her cheeks lovingly. A smile spread across her face as she pressed their foreheads together. "Awww of course sweetie. But I'm going first because I can't control my love for you anymore...you're too sweet and precious Lilly! We're going to have an amazing life together, I can sense it. Now let's get in the car and hurry home. I wanna hold you in my arms all night and show you how deeply I love you. God...I love you so much, baby, that I don't think I even know how much I love you. You're the meaning of life, Lils. All right let's hurry home!" She scooped Lilly into her arms and ran with her quickly to their car. And she knew that she made the right decision by falling in love with her beautiful, precious Lilly.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

_So, finally, here is Chapter Sixteen! Yay, aren't we excited? Sorry it took so long to update and stuff...I was kind of like busy. Not really, I couldn't think of what to write. But to make for the late update, I've made this a bit longer than usual :D It's 7,000 words! So please read and review. Let me know what you think! I will try to update again soon, but the end of next month is going to be not fun for me. Have some medical things I need to deal with so I will try to have the next chapter out by May 15th. Or earlier. But after May 21st, I will not be updating for a long while. Sorry :| Three to four reviews would be great, please! Thanks. Enjoy:)_

Chapter Sixteen

The sweet sound of birds chirping and golden sunlight pouring into the bedroom woke Lilly from her peaceful slumber. She let out a lawn as she stretched her arms. She looked around, noticing the singer was no where in sight. Shrugging her shoulders, the blonde made her way to the bathroom and shortly after down the stairs. A smile grew on her face as she saw her sister and Miley sitting in the kitchen, having coffee together. She quietly walked in and took a seat beside them.

"Good morning Lilly, sweetie," Miley cooed, a warm and loving smile on her face. She gently cupped her cheek, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You slept in quite a while today, lovey." She peered lovingly into the other's blue eyes and then got up to make her a cup of coffee. The glowing in her lover's eyes made her so happy to think that soon the two would be married and spending the rest of their lives with each other. She couldn't wait for that.

Lilly glanced over at the clock, astonished to see that it was almost noon. Had she really slept almost half the day away? "Gee, today's almost half-way over... How come you didn't wake me, Miles?" She spoke, her voice a bit panicky. Sleeping in was something she hated to do, and especially if she slept past ten. Her life had already been cut shorter than others, she didn't think she should make it any shorter by sleeping the day way.

The singer brought over a steaming mug of coffee and placed it in front of her beautiful lover. She smiled softly, wrapping her in a warm embrace. "You needed some extra sleep, sweetie," she whispered as she caressed her cheeks tenderly, "Especially after all the love we showed to each other last night. Besides, I haven't been up much longer. I came down about a half hour ago." Miley stroked her hand softly down the other's back, giving her one last squeeze before releasing her from their embrace.

Rose watched them carefully as she drank her glass of milk. She sensed they had been growing closer together in their relationship and couldn't help but feel very happy for them. For she knew how much her dear sister had dreamt of this, and she didn't want anything more than for her to be happy. "Dad never loved mom as much as you two love each other." She quietly stated, not thinking they would hear her.

"What are you talking about, Rosie? Of course dad loved mom..." Lilly looked over at her younger sister, concerned at what she had said. She took a sip of her coffee, hoping the younger girl would explain her word choices a little better.

Shaking her head, Rose looked away. She hadn't meant for that to be heard by anyone and mentally slapped herself for saying that out loud. "No, no. I know that, Lilly. I'm just saying that he didn't love her as much as you and Miley love each other." An easy way to fix her meaning, the child thought. She would never want to have her sister know anything that went on with their parents when she hadn't been around.

Lilly smiled softly as she took another long sip of her coffee. She understood what her sister was saying, and couldn't agree more with it. The love she and Miley shared wasn't just something people came across as they used to. "Well, mom and dad loved each other as best they could. But not everyone is able to find their soulmates in life. They were good for each other, Rosie, but they just...they weren't made for each other. Not like Miley and I were." She spoke softly, patting her sister's head lovingly.

Later on in the day had Lilly sitting in the living room as she thought about going back to her house to go through their things and maybe clean it up a bit. She hadn't even been back there since before the accident, so she knew it would be best to go and organize their things. Especially because they'd have to sale it sometime down the road.

Miley observed as the woman she loved sat thoughtfully on the couch, and grew curious as to what was on her mind. She carefully walked over to her, taking a seat beside her. "What would you like to do today, sweetie?" Her gente voice asked while she wrapped her arms warmly around the smaller girl's waist. The realization of knowing that soon the two would be married and have the rest of their lives to spend together made her heart beat with joy.

"Well I was thinking about taking a trip back to my house...Rose and I haven't been there since before the accident. And I'd like to get all my parents' belongings together, and organize them. Plus, the house will be sold eventually so I really should go clean it up. You can come with me if you'd like," Lilly spoke, enjoying the embrace the other offered.

Pressing a warm kiss to the smaller girl's lips, Miley nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a good plan, lovey. Mind if I invite Luanne along? Might be good to have extra help. Maybe after we work on organizing your parents items, we can show her around a little. How does that sound, my angel? I think it may do you some good as well to get out of the house for a while." She stroked the other's cheek tenderly as she looked lovingly into her eyes.

Walking in the door of her house, Lilly couldn't help but shutter at the empty feeling it had. Knowing that she'd never see her parents walk out of it again made her eyes well up with a bit of tears. She shook the melancholy thoughts away though as she hadn't want to turn this trip into anything too depressing. Instead she started her way up the stairs, with Miley and Luanne slowly behind her, and stood in the doorway of her parents room for several silent moments. She stared straight ahead noticing their bed was still un-made, clothes thrown on the floor, and a crumpled up note lay amongst the bedstand.

Seeing what a mess her parents room had been was very concerning and alarming to Lilly. She knew her mother to be a very tidy woman and she would never leave her room in the morning without the bed made. Slowly and cautiously, the blonde made her way over to where the crumpled paper lie. She grabbed it, trying to fold it back so she could read it. When she saw what it said, she let the tears in her eyes fall down.

It had been a note left for her mother the morning of the accident. And it read:

_Leanne, _

_I cannot deal with our marriage anymore or Lilly's illness. I don't want anything to do with any of you anymore. I've tried to stick it out for the girls...mostly for Rose. But I can't stay with you any longer. I have never truly loved you, and I'm done lying to myself about it. We are not soulmates, never have been and never will be. So as of today, we're done. I've packed up all my things and am headed back to my hometown in Arizona. Don't bother calling me, because I've changed my number. And don't come looking for me, I won't look the same as I will be changing my hair color. _

_Goodbye, _

_Alan_

Lilly couldn't believe her eyes; had her father really been about to leave her mom? The tears that she'd been holding in and had finally been released as she let herself cry silently. How could her father write such a cruel note to his wife? "Lilly, what's the matter? Why are you crying sweetie?" Miley's gentle voice questioned as she carefully made her way in the room and over to the upset blonde. She saw the crumpled up piece of paper in her hands and her curiousity peaked, "What's that note you got there? Is that what has you all distraught, my darling?"

"It's a-a note my dad left for mom..." She whispered as tears continued to pour from her eyes, "He planned to leave her. And all he left was a lousy note! After all my mom's done for our family, and all the love she showed to him! All she gets is a fucking lousy note! I just...I don't understand, I thought my parents loved each other. I guess that's what happens when you're stuck in the hospital most of your life...don't know anything that's going in anyone else's life. Rose must have known about this, she kept talking about how dad never loved mom as much as we love each other. And that makes perfect sense now."

Miley gently looked over at the note in the other's hand, reading it silently to herself. She shook her head gloomily before pulling her lover close in her arms. "What a terrible thing for your father to do! I am so, so sorry sweetheart," she soothed as she stroked the top of her head tenderly. The thought of a parent only leaving a note for their family before taking off brought a shutter to the singer's body. And how much pain it caused her Lilly to find it made her really hate the man who wrote it. "Maybe we should leave, and come back another day. I don't want you to get anymore upset, baby doll. Being upset won't help you, my sweet girl." She held the smaller girl tight, stroking comforting circles around her back.

Lilly shook her head, she rather get everything done at once. Sure it was painful for her to be back in her house where her parents would never walk again, but eventually she'd have to move on. She wiped her tears and peered up at Miley, a sad smile on her face. "I'm fine, Miles," she said, barely louder than a whisper, "I need to get this done today, or else I'll keep putting it off."

The brunette squeezed her tight, stroking her head soothingly. She always admired the strength that her Lilly had; even after losing both her parents and still suffering with cancer, the girl still had the will to go on with her life. Sure she had her moments of weakness, but Miley sensed that her lover would never truly give up. She gave a loving smile to the other as she looked warmly into her eyes. "Okay sweetie, but it's all right if you want to take a break. We can come back whenever you want. Please don't push yourself, baby; I don't want you getting too upset." She spoke in a firm and loving tone, pressing her lips lovingly to the other's cheek.

After hours of cleaning Lilly's house, the three girls decided to have lunch at a small diner just a mile from the beach. They had got a lot done and accomplished, which made Lilly very pleased. Still, she was quite upset about the note her dad had left, but she refused to let that ruin the rest of her day. She and Miley sat together on one side of the booth while Luanne sat on the other. Lilly smiled as she went to take a sip of her cold beverage, "Thank you both for coming and helping me out. I probably wouldn't have accomplished all that I did without you."

Miley grabbed her hand and held it tightly in her own as she looked lovingly into her eyes, "I wouldn't have let you go on your own, sweetie. Not when you're still grieving for them. Besides, I love helping you Lil. You're my sweetheart." She ran her thumb tenderly over the blonde's hand, kissing the side of her head in the process.

Luanne watched them with a smile as she knew how happy the two were together. And she was beyond thrilled for them to be marrying each other; they were soulmates and everyone knew it. "You two are the most beautiful couple I have ever seen. I'm so happy that you two have each other; not everyone is as lucky as ya'll," she spoke, then glanced at Lilly, "And it was no problem at all helping ya out; I love cleaning and organizing so it was quite enjoyable for me."

"Are you sure you and Miles are related then?" Lilly lightly joked, "Because she's sure not a cleaner or organizer!"

The brunette smiled playfully as she wrapped her arms strongly around her lover. She squeezed her tight as she peered into her eyes, "That might be true, but when I do decide to clean, I clean until the floor sparkles." A light laugh came out while she cupped both of Lilly's cheeks and pressed their lips softly together. She smiled brightly when she saw how pink the other's cheeks got and lovingly whispered into her ear, "Awww is my sweetie blushing?" Miley pressed her lips tenderly onto her lover's again. "I love you so much, darlin'." Before she could say or do anything else, she heard her twin cousin clear her throat obnoxiously loud. She looked over at her, noticing a worried expression upon her face. "Oh sorry, Luanne. I didn't mean to go overboard; I just, I can't help myself when it comes to Lils."

The other woman shook her head as she nudged her head to the people around them. The crowd, that Miley failed to see build around them, stared at her and Lilly intensly. Most were staring at Miley as they had recognized who she was. "Oh no, Mile, that's not what I'm worried about," she spoke quietly and softly, "All these people around our table is what concerns me. I think they've realized who you are." She tried to keep her voice at a whisper so no one but Miley would hear her. And she grew alarmed when she noticied that the crowd was getting closer to them.

Miley automatically pulled Lilly closer to her, wanting to shield her from the people who called themselves her 'fans'. As she remembered the last time they bombarded her and nearly made her love feel horrified. "I guess uncle Earl was right. It sure is my face they recognize cause it definitely ain't my hair." She let out an exasperated groan as she look down at the blonde and then over at Luanne. "Well we have two options... We either stay and finish our lunch, risk being bothered with this crowd, or we leave. I personally rather just leave, I don't want these people saying anything to my sweet Lilly that might hurt her. Not after what happened the last time."

"I think we should stay and stick it out," came Lilly's small voice as she peered up into Miley's soft eyes. "You shouldn't have to lock yourself away just because a few people might not like who you choose to spend your time with. Besides what business is it of theirs?" She glanced down at the floor, wondering how hard it would be for her and Miley to actually go out in public and do things. To her, Miley was a human being who had feelings just as everyone did; but to everyone outside of their bubble, she was a celebrity.

There were some rude remarks made to Lilly from people in the crowd at what she said. That caused Miley to hold her tighter and closer as she softly stroke her cheek. "Aww Lil, it's not that I give a shit what they think of anything I do or who I choose to love. What I care about is what they say to you. You are my beautiful Lilly and I don't want them lowering your self-confidence anymore than it already is. Lilly, you don't need to be strong for me; I can deal with these people. Believe me, I can. But you, sweetie, you're too sweet and kind to protect yourself from people like them. And that's perfectly okay, because you have me and I will do everything I can to protect you. I love you, angel. Now, we better get out of here before they say anything to you."

Unfortunately, before the three to could make their escape the entire room was filled with fans who screamed and wailed to get the singer's attention. They pushed and squeezed their way to their booth, making sure the three woman could not get out. And at this point both Miley and Luanne were very angry. "What the hell is the matter with ya'll?" Luanne half shouted, her southern accent getting thicker as her anger built. "Miley's a human being who would like to spend her leisure time without getting bombarded by a crowd of people all the time. That's why she's taking a break from her career! Ya'll better move out of the way so that we can leave."

"That ain't why she quit," a little girl protested, then disgustingly looked at Lilly, "She quit because of that piece of shit! That ugly, alien-looking creature is why she won't sing anymore and why she don't care about her REAL fans like me anymore. I bet that thing isn't even sick; she just wants your sympathy and money." Everyone around her nodded and smiled in agreement.

Miley's rage was fuming as she held Lilly tighter, and placed her head onto her chest. She stayed silent for several minutes as she tried not to let her rage take over. Especially as she wanted to keep the blonde calm and from getting too worked up. "Luanne, honey, call my dad. He can get us out of here. Please. If I stay here any longer, I might kill that little brat." She spoke sternly, then felt her heart break when she heard a faint sob come out of her Lilly's body. "Oh Lilly... Sweetie, don't even think that what that girl said is even remotely true. You are my love; my sweet, precious Lilly that I love and will always love with every bone in my body. You are absolutely the most beautiful woman I have ever met, and I adore you. Lilly, close your eyes; just close your beautiful eyes and relax. I'm not going to let anyone of these cruel people near you. You're safe in my arms, baby girl. I won't ever let them fail you." She soothed warmly into the other's ear, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple.

Things only got worse as Miley ignored everyone and kept her protective hold on Lilly. A very angry and evil looking man came raging over to them. He peered evily into the smaller girl's eyes, "You little fucking bitch. This is all your fault, Lilly, and that's why I've arranged for this lovely crowd to come here with me." His blue-green eyes, the same as Robbie's, filled with such an evil that it had Lilly shaking with horror. He smiled, happy to see her scared and then he looked up at his sister. "You didn't think I'd let you get away with saving your little friend, did you? Oh, and I heard Travis tried to kill her back home. That's such a shame." He chuckled evilly as he reached to take a hold of Lilly.

The singer's face was bright red with anger as she glared darkly into her brother's eyes. "Don't you even lay a finger on my sweetie." She hissed coldly as she wrapped her arms even tighter around her lover's shaking body. "You sick, fucking bastard! You're the one who wanted to kill Lilly! And had Travis do your dirty work. Oh you fucking asshole! You're not getting away with that, Jackson, when dad gets here, he is calling the police. Get away from Lilly, back the hell up now!"

Jackson shook his head, smirking all the while as he reached over and forcefully took Lilly from her. "I ain't going anywhere until this shit gives me all her drugs. And if you or good ol' Luanne try to touch her, she's dead." He growled, taking a gun out of his pocket and pointing it at her head.

Miley felt her heart drop as she seen the horrified expression on her angel's face. How could this be happening? She asked herself. She looked at Lilly, tears welling in her eyes. "Baby, don't worry. He's not gonna do a thing to you. My daddy is on his way and he will get us out of here. Just keeping look at me, Lil. I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere until you're safe and with me. Oh sweetie, I know you're terrified, I know. But I promise nothing's gonna happen. I want to hold you so much right now, but I don't want you to get shot. Just listen to my voice and you'll be okay. I love you so deeply, pretty girl."

An hour later Jackson was being dragged off by the police, but Lilly was no where in sight. Miley became panicked and started ravaging around the diner trying to locate her. Luanne was in the bathroom, washing her hands, when she heard quiet sobbing coming from one of the stalls. "Lilly, honey, is that you?" Her voice softly called out as she walked over to where the sobbing was coming. "Honey, open the door. Jackson's gone, he's in jail now. And everyone else is gone. Miley's really worried about you, Lilly." She pushed open the stall, her heart breaking when she saw Lilly curled up into a ball as she cried her eyes out. She gently scooped the girl into her arms, rocking her softly back and forth. "Shhh, shhh. Everything's okay now, sweet pea. You're safe, Jackson will never be able to touch you again."

Miley came running in a few moments later, calling out Lilly's name. But then stopped when she saw the sight and her eyes filled with teary relief. She rushed over to them and wrapped her arms around both woman, squeezing them tight. "Oh Lilly, baby doll; are you still scared? Is that why you ran here? To hide from Jackson? Sweetheart he's never, ever, ever gonna hurt you again. They've put him in jail for a very long time. We're gonna take you home now, my Lilly, and it's all gonna be okay." She whispered warmly, pressing her lips atop the blonde's bare head.

When they arrived home, Miley carried the other upstairs to her room and out to her balcony. She sat in a chair as she held Lilly soothingly on her chest. She softly stroked her back, rocking them back and forth. Why did something always have to go wrong? The singer thought to herself. For once, Lilly seemed to be enjoying life and happy again... They just got engaged and then something awful had to happen. Why couldn't her Lilly just be allowed to be happy for once?

"Go to sleep, lovey; it's okay," Miley soothed into her ear, caressing her cheek. "I'm sure you're exhausted after everything that happened today. Don't worry sweetie pie, I'll be right here holding you. Close your eyes love, and listen to my heart-beat. I know you're still scared and shaken up, but I promise you that Jackson will never be able to hurt you again. Please just try to relax, Lil. I'm here for you and I won't let anything happen to you. I love you, baby, so much." She stroked Lilly's hair tenderly while swaying back and forth. "You look exhausted sweetie...please get some rest. You need it, Lils, you've had a rough day. Sleep will make you feel better, especially because you'll be sleeping in my arms. My arms that will keep you safe from anyone whoever tries to harm you."

The blonde timidly burried her head into Miley's soothing neck, enjoying the warmth it radiated. Her lips trembled as she curl herself into a bawl. Why couldn't she just be able to live a happy life? Why did something always have to go wrong? Lilly shook her head, letting frustrated and terrifying sobs come out. Life felt completely pointless to her if all she was ever gonna do was to suffer. If living meant that all the things that made her happy would be masked by upsetting events, then she didn't know if she could live anymore.

Miley felt the smaller girl's shaking and wrapped her arms tighter around her. She pressed her lips warmly to the other's head, hoping to calm her down. "Awww baby girl, there's no reason to be so scared... You're okay, Lilly; everything is fine!" The singer softly spoke, cradling Lilly protectively in her arms. It tore her heart to see the woman she loved, more than anything in the world, so distraught and frightened. "Close your eyes sweetie, you need to rest. You're exhausted; a good rest will really help you. And don't worry, my dear angel, I'll be right here holding you. I love you so much Lilly," she soothed into the blonde's ear, caressing her cheeks softly.

A week came and went, the cold winter weather starting to fade away. The sun shone through the windows of the Stewart household. It was a beautiful Saturday morning and not a soul had been awake. Lilly lay motionless beside the singer, her heart beating rapidly fast as her breathing grew harder and deeper. Her pupils spinning around inside her tightly shut eyelids. Things had been slowly getting worse for her, but she hadn't told anyone. She refused to go back to a hospital and lose her independence.

Miley awoke, moments later, looking down at the girl in her arms with worry. She shook her a bit, hoping to wake her and patted her back softly to stop her from breathing so hard. "Lilly, darlin', wake up," she spoke out gently, stroking her forehead lovingly. The other still had not awaken, and her breathing got worse. That caused the singer to start panicking as she sat up cradling Lilly in her arms. "Lilly wake up! You need to wake, Lil! You're breathing way too hard... Come on my love, you need to wake up and calm down."

Lilly's body started to shake as she began gasping for air. Her eyes remained shut, and her arms and legs became very limp. The brunette held her tighter, patting her back as hard as she could. Tears fell from her eyes while she cradled her lover in her arms. "Don't you dare give up, Lilly! Don't you dare! You better open those precious eyes of yours or I'm having my daddy take you to the hospital. Come on sweetie...Wake up! Open your eyes...I need to see them; you have five seconds to open them. If you don't, we're taking you to the hospital. I refuse to let you give up; you're my Lilly." Miley squeezed the other tight, stroking her back gently.

"Mmmmm-Miley..." Came Lilly's weak voice, her eyes still squeezed shut. "Eeee-e-everything i-is d-d-dark...I c-c-can't feelll m-m-my bod-bod-body." She cried out as she shook in horror.

Letting out a cry of her own, the singer gave a tender kiss to Lilly's head. She held her close, hoping to bring her any comfort she could. "Shhh, shhh, shhhh." She whispered into her ear, "Shhh...Don't worry baby, you can't see anything because it's still dark. Please stay calm, babe. I've got you, I've got you my love. Does anything hurt? Can you open your eyes for me, sweetheart? Let me see your beautiful eyes." Miley cradled the other's head lovingly in her hands, caressing each of her cheeks with care. It pained her to see and feel how tense and fearful her lover was.

Lilly shook her head, sobbing horrenduously as she burry her head into the other's neck. Was she gonna die? A question she asked herself. "I-I c-c-can't f-feel a-a-anything... I-i-is th-this it? Am I - Am I dy-dying?" Her voice cracking into terrified sobs, scared of what was happening to her. She couldn't face losing her life...How could she die now? Why did God have to do that to her?

"Oh no, no baby! You are **not** dying! No, my Lilly... Please don't think like that, daddy and I are gonna help you. We're going to take you to the hospital and get you taken care of. I'm not going to let you die, just keep listening to my voice. You'll be fine, sweetie; I promise." Miley kept her voice soft, trying to calm the other. She gently stroked her lover's eyelids, carefully opening them and peering into her eyes. "Can you see anything now, Lilly?" All she got was a small head shake. "Okay, don't worry lovey. We'll figure out what's going on with that as soon as we get you to the hospital. Just try to stay calm. I know it's hard to, but I won't let go of you; you just let me hold you and everything will be okay. I love you dearly, my precious angel."

That evening had Miley sitting in a chair at Lilly's bedside, holding her hand tightly in her own. After hours and hours of numerous tests, it was found that the blonde's tumor had grown even bigger, taking up nearly her entire brain. The only way the doctor could get the tumor small enough so he could remove it, was to put Lilly into an induced coma and have her on a very strong dose of chemotherapy for a good eight weeks.

Miley sighed sadly as she watched her lover sleep. She hated that she wouldn't be able to hear Lilly's voice for almost two months...or see her precious blue eyes stare right into hers. Gently, she pressed her lips onto the blonde's frail hand. "I love you, baby girl," she spoke softly, placing the girl's hand onto her chest while stroking it comfortingly. "I'll be with you every single day, my Lilly, don't you worry about that. I will _never_ leave your side."

There was no response other than the loud beeping from Lilly's heart monitor. Miley stood up from her chair, walking over to where the girl's head lay. She bent down to press a comforting kiss to her forehead, "I hope you're having a great dream, my sweetie. A dream where you aren't suffering. And I hope you know how deeply I love you. I love you so, so much Lilly, and I always will. Always, my sweet girl." The singer spoke, cradling Lilly's head carefully to her chest. She wished so badly that her love didn't have to go through this.

_An eight year old, hairless Lilly sat happily in the playroom in the Children's ward of the hospital. It was a cold Friday afternoon and today she had been allowed to go explore the different play areas. Her mother, Leanne, had accompanied her while carrying a fussy toddler in her arms. She smiled, very grateful to see her daughter so happy. It had been quite a rough past year for them, with Lilly being diagnosed with a rare form of Leukemia and all. _

_ Lilly took out a container full of blocks and started to build. She smiled cheerfully, as she thought of what to build. Being too into building with the blocks, she hadn't noticed that another young girl had approached her until she heard an angelic voice in her direction. Immediately, she turned her head to the voice and grew anxious. Being around other children always worried her, she didn't want them to shun her away because of how she looked._

_ "Hi there," A cheerful voice spoke with a southern accent very evident. The girl had long, wavy chestnut hair and sea-green eyes with a huge smile on her face. "I was wondering if I could build blocks with you. My name is Destiny by the way...although everyone calls me Miley. What's your name?" _

_ The smaller child looked her over, still skeptical of what to think of her. "Uhm, sure you can..." She nervously spoke, passing her the container of blocks. "Should I call you Destiny or Miley? I don't know you... I-I'm Lilly." Her voice grew shaky as she talked to the new girl, hoping she was a nice person and not going to do something mean to her. Ever since she got cancer, hardly anyone was ever nice to her._

_ The other girl smiled, taking some blocks from the bin. She looked at Lilly, noticing how anxious she seemed and felt curiousity arise in her. "Lilly, nice to meet you. Call me Miley. Destiny is only what my parents call me when I do something bad." She let out a small laugh as she started to build a castle. "How come you're here in the hospital, Lilly?" Miley knew it was probably a personal question to ask, especially since the two just met, but she couldn't help herself._

_ Lilly gulped, looking down at her blocks. Having conversations with other children always made her nevous and had butterflies fly around in her stomach. She glanced over at the other girl, who seemed so happy and innoccent just building a castle. "I, uh, have cancer. Why are you here?" She quickly turned it around as to not make the situation awkward; she hated talking about herself._

_ "You have cancer?" Miley's face seemed to fill with empathy and sadness. "Why do you have cancer, Lilly? You're only a child... I'm here because my momma's sick; she has cancer, like you." The chestnut haired child stopped building her blocks and gently reached over to grab one of Lilly's hands. "Cancer is mean, Lilly. It hurts my momma everyday, and it must hurt you as well. I'm sorry you have cancer, Lilly. Where's your cancer at? Momma's is in her brain.." _

_ The anxiousness Lilly felt slowly faded away as she looked over at the other girl. She could see and hear the sincerity in her voice. Maybe not all children were cruel, Lilly thought to herself. "It's in my blood..." She spoke, looking down at the blocks. "How old are you, Miley? Do you go to school? I've never seen you before."_

_ Miley smiled, holding Lilly's hand in hers. "I'm twelve, what about you Lilly? I do go to school, but we just moved here. We want to make momma happy. She's always loved California. We're from Tenneessee; you can probably tell from my voice. I hope you aren't going to school while having cancer...That must be hard for you," she spoke, empathy in her voice as she peered into Lilly's ocean blue eyes._

_ "Wow you're twelve? Are kids nicer when they're twelve? I've just turned eight a few weeks ago. Oh, well that would explain why you talk different. Do you like it here in California? My mom and dad want me to go to school, they said it's good for me." Lilly looked down, not wanting to even think about what it was like to be at school. She hated it and everyone who went there. No one would ever understand how awful it made her feel._

_ The older child felt concern arise for Lilly as she watched her bottom lip tremble while keeping her head pointed at the ground. She stood up and took the other's hand, lifting her up. "Let's go for a walk, sweetie. And get your mind off whatever it is that's bothering you." Miley held the blonde's hand softly in her own, guiding them out of the room and down the long hallway. "If you wanna talk about what's bothering you, just let me know Lilly. My ears are always ready to listen." She silently hummed as she led them to a little lounging area that was at the end of the hall. She carefully helped the other to sit down in one of the chairs and then took a seat across from her._

_ Miley smiled cheerfully, "You're so young and sweet, Lilly." She grabbed her two tiny hands and held them softly in her own two. "How long are you here for?"_

_ Lilly shrugged her shoulders while glancing across at the older girl. "I don't know. Probably a month or two. Or longer. I hate being stuck here, it's boring and I have no one to play with or talk to." She groaned; she hated being in the hospital, it took over everything in her life. _

_ "Aww, I'm sorry Lilly," Miley spoke gently, her eyes filled with empathy. She ran her thumb comfortingly over the blonde's knuckles as she peered sadly into her eyes. Then a smile grew on her face. "How about we hang out and talk everyday? I'm usually here a lot visiting my momma...And when she's getting tests or sleeping, I have nothing to do myself. And you just seem so sweet, Lilly! I'd absolutely love to get know you more and maybe become friends."_

_ A tiny smile formed on the younger girl's face as she nodded her head in agreement, "That would be lovely."_

A few hours later had the door to Lilly's hospital room open, and in came Luanne and a very distraught Rose. The child ran to her sister's side, grabbing her hand and squeezing it as tight as possible. Tears fell from her eyes as she saw how broken her older sister looked. "You better not die, Lilly," she angrily sobbed out, "You can't leave me here alone, you _can't_!" She hugged Lilly's head in her hands, wishing she would wake up.

Miley and Luanne watched her in sadness, not knowing what to do to help the child through this. Miley gently made her way over to the crying child, wrapping her arms carefully around her. "It's okay, Rose. She's gonna be okay, she just needs a really good rest to help her get rid of the tumor. She won't leave you sweetie; she loves you." The singer soothed while holding her lover's sister close. "Come sit down with me, okay? You need to calm down, sweetie pie."

Rose shook her head while wiping at her tears. "No. I don't want to be pittied; I'm gonna go for a walk." She spoke and before anyone could stop her, she was out the door.

Miley let out a sad sigh, staring at the door with sorrow. She then looked over at her cousin whom returned her glance with an empathetic one. "I don't know what to do, Lu... I just don't know what to do." Her voice blankly stated, as she stare gloomfully at her broken Lilly that lay motionless in the bed. Tears formed in her eyes. "What, what if she dies Lu? I can't lose my Lilly! I can't!"

Luanne pulled her in for a comforting embrace as she look softly into her eyes. "Miley, sweetie, she's a strong girl. She's not going to die. You have to stay positive for her; she needs you to be strong for her." The southern cousin spoke, stroking gentle circles around Miley's back. "It's gonna be okay, Miles. It is. We just have to be patient and let Lilly heal. Why don't you try to rest? You look tired, sweet pea."

"I am positive for my Lilly; I want her to live and be healthy. But that poor, poor baby has suffered so much! She's suffered so fucking goddamn much and I'm scared that she's gonna fucking give up! I wouldn't blame her, but that doesn't mean I want her to... These last few days she's been very quiet and shaky...I've been so worried about her that I would hardly leave her alone. I heard her whisper in her sleep that she wanted to go with her mom... Luanne, do you know what the hell that means?! She wants to fucking die! She was mumbling and I heard every word... That poor thing is so broken and fragile; she wants to die and be with her mom. She wants to give up, Luanne! I don't want her to want to give up. What do I do for her, Lu? How can I make my sweetie feel better? How can I stop her from feeling so horrible? How do I keep her from giving up?" Miley angrily spoke; looking over at her sleeping Lilly, who lay without any movement. All of a sudden Lilly's monitors started beeping like crazy and the singer rushed to her side, grabbing her hands and squeezing them tight. "Oh Lilly...oh honey...Did I upset you? Sweetie... I'm not mad at you, sweetie. I'm not mad at you; I'm not upset with you, baby. I'm upset and angry that you feel so bad...You feel so bad that you want to give up on yourself. And I don't want you to feel that bad! I don't want you to feel so bad that you think you have nothing left to live for... Baby, you have so much to live for. You're so young, Lilly, so young. You're just a baby, for crying out loud! You're not even an adult yet and you think you have nothing to live for? I love you so fucking much, Lilly; so much that I will do anything and everything I can to stop you from dying. I will give up everything in the world just to have you here with me forever. You're my sweet angel that I love with every fiber in my being. And if you ever think that I'm giving up on you, then you're damn wrong. I will fight for you until you take your last breath. Which won't be for a very, very long time. Now you need to calm down, Lilly darlin', you're making all your machines go crazy. Come on, sweetheart, you're okay. And I love you; I am not upset or mad at you I promise." Miley spoke calmly and warmly, holding Lilly's head gently to her chest. And within minutes all of the machines had calmed down. The singer gently smiled and gently pressed a kiss to her lover's lips, "Good girl. I love you dearly, my sweet angel."


End file.
